Sparkling Heart Gold
by tiggerkiddo
Summary: The tale of one boy, his Wigglytuff and their stupid misadventures with the Pokemon League Champion, the New Team Rocket and his general stupidity.
1. Ethan and the Pirates

A cool and salty breeze greeted Ethan as he rode his bike down the ledges that led to Olivine City. Floating just a bit behind him was Wiggler, a Wigglytuff that had been his first ever Pokemon. He looked back at it as it continued to keep a decent distance behind the bike. "C'mon Wiggler! You used to be able to float faster than that!"

He turned his attention back to the road ahead, in time to see a wooden fence coming up and coming up fast. He slammed on his brakes but at the speed he had been going, it'd be close. He let his foot off the pedal and dragged his foot into the ground, causing him to slow down a bit more. He put down the other foot, which helped even more, causing him to slow down enough that he could hop off his bike and walk it to the fence. He leaned it up against the fence and locked it up as Wiggler landed on a wooden post, huffing and puffing. He shook his head. "Hey, I warned you. I always ride real fast on my bike!"

Wiggler waved its small arms and he smiled. He reached to his backpack and pulled out a pair of Pokeballs. "I gotta tell you, that was a pretty long ride. I forgot how long a ride it is from Goldenrod to here. Maybe next time I'll borrow my grandparent's Fearow and fly over here. At least we got here before it got too dark."

Wiggler let out a little squeak and turned its attention to the one structure that loomed over anything nearby, the Olivine Lighthouse. Ethan glanced at it, focusing his attention on the top floor, where a powerful Ampharos lived, giving the lighthouse the great light it was known for. "Ha, you want to go visit Amphy, don't you? It's been awhile since we were out here last so I guess we could go."

Last time he had been out here, he and his small team of Pokemon had traveled across the ocean to locate a cure for Amphy, who had been sick at the time. He remembered not being all that interested in making the long long trek overseas but when he had heard it was for the shy but very cute Gym Leader of Olivine, how could he turn it down then? "I wonder how she's doing? I guess I haven't talked to some of the people I met since I lost to Crystal in the finals. Hah, I bet money she's up there, watching after Amphy!"

For now, he had to focus on the task at hand, delivering a couple of Pokemon to an older lady who had left her Pokemon at the Day Care Center but had been unable to pick them up. Usually they didn't do stuff like this but seeing as it was a regular customer, his grandparents felt the need to send him out to do it. He let out a sigh. "Kind of a drag, huh Wiggler? I mean we were planning to check out the Lake of Rage but instead I'm on the other side of Johto, delivering a couple of Pokemon!"

He found her house on the row of buildings closest to the docks, a small light red house with a slanted white roof and a lawn bordering a large amount of flowers planted around the house. A low white picket fence surrounded the house, each picket bearing the image of a Pokemon on the front. Known as the Pokemon Grandma, she had more species of Pokemon than some serious collectors but she seemed to have a fondness for normal Pokemon like the ones he had with him. If that were the one Pokemon type he would rather be, it was hard not to go with Normal. He walked up to her front door and knocked a few times. After the third knock, the door opened to the sound of a Jigglypuff speaking. He half expected a Jigglypuff to greet them until he realized it was just a recording. An elderly lady answered the door, her eyes lighting up when she saw who it was.

"Ahhh Ethan, how good it is to see you this evening! How are my babies?"

Ethan smiled. "Well Miss Cayan, both your Clefable and Miltank did just fine together but they had grown quite a bit since you last saw them. You might have to go try them out in a battle to see but I'm pretty confident they'll do well."

"Oh that's wonderful. I do appreciate all the hard work you guys do. It makes caring for Pokemon such a load off my back sometimes. Tell your grandparents I said thank you."

He nodded as he handed over the Pokemon. "Of course, we're always happy to serve you. If you ever need us to watch any more Pokemon, just let us know!"

After leaving from there, they made a beeline for the Olivine Lighthouse. He looked across the bay and could see several ships coming into the harbor, mainly smaller yachts and pleasure cruisers. They didn't get many large ships in the harbor but when they did, they often cast a huge shadow over the rest of town. The only ship he had been on had to be the St. Anne, a large cruiseliner filled to the brim with eager trainers. The trip had been sort of a consolation prize for him, having just lost the Johto League Final to Crystal. It did give him the oppurtunity to travel to Kanto and meet many people over there, including Lt. Surge, Erica, Brock and Blaine.

The trek up the lighthouse spanned six floors, usually filled with trainers with nothing better to do than harass people wanting to climb the lighthouse. He remembered having to struggle through a few of them during his first trek up, including a pair of Sailors who gave Wiggler quite some trouble. He looked over at him and smiled. "Hah, you remember that one sailor here? He had a pair of Machop-"

Wiggler interrupted him with a loud squeak, flashing a frown at him. Ethan laughed. "I guess you do remember. I thought we could nail them with Bounce but I had to bring in Juan and freeze the fight out of them."

As he reached the top floor, he walked to the railing and looked down at the rest of the city. It had gotten a bit darker but with his Raichu, he'd have all the light he needed to get back home. He could see a couple more ships pull into the harbor but what seemed to catch his eye was a smaller ship lagging a bit behind the others. It was a dark colored ship, carrying quite a bit of cargo but it came to a stop near the edge of the bay as if it was waiting for something. He shrugged it off but heard Wiggler let out a cry. The light that had bathed the area blinked a few times before it went out. He spun around to look at the glass windows where Amphy's light had just shown. "That's weird. We better go check it out. Hopefully he isn't sick again."

They walked into the lantern room of the lighthouse and noticed two guys dressed in dark clothing, standing over Amphy, who laid sprawled out on the floor. "There! That should take care of it!"

"You think it'll stay knocked out long enough for the ship to sneak in? It seemed like a pretty strong Pokemon."

"I think so. Besides, it has to stay up here and shine its light for ships to see. It's bound to get tired from doing that for so long. Our job is done here so let's get out of here before anyone comes over."

They both turned in unison, in time to see him standing in the doorway. He folded his arms and smiled. "It's a little late for that now, don't you think?"

One of the men, the one with light blue hair pointed his finger at him. "What are you doing here kid? It's pretty late for a walk, don't you think?"

"Is that supposed to excuse you two from harming Amphy?"

The two looked at each other and shrugged together. Ethan made a fist with his hand. "It's a Pokemon kid. It's pretty strong, it can recover. We just didn't need its light for a bit. Now if you'll excuse us-"

"You aren't going anywhere! And if you think I'm just your normal, everyday trainer-"

"That's nice kid but we did poison that stupid Pokemon. The longer you delay us, the worse that Pokemon is going to get. If you let us go, maybe you might be able to help this Pokemon out."

They could be bluffing or they could be telling the truth. Without any light in the room, it made it tough to see if the poor Pokemon was sick. He would need some light and fast. He pulled out the Pokeball holding his Raichu and both guys stepped back. "Don't try anything funny. I'm going to light this room up and see if you two are telling the truth."

"Don't even think about it! How do I know you won't turn your Pokemon on us? How about you just abide by our demands? If not, this Pokemon is going to suffer for it."

Ethan shot a glare at them before looking at Wiggler. He didn't say anything for a few minutes before he stepped to the side. "Fine, leave then."

"You should have just done that right away! Thanks kid!"

Ethan suppressed the sick feeling rising in his stomach and looked away. He would have loved to flattened both of them with a punch for harming Amphy like that but it'd probably just lead to more trouble than he wanted. The two scurried out the room and made a beeline for the stairs leading down. He didn't bother watching them leave, moving back inside and hurrying over to Amphy. He summoned Rai, his Raichu at once. Rai looked at him, wincing a bit as electricity leapt from its cheeks. "Ahhh, stored up a little too much electricity? How about you put it to use and light up this room for us, while me and Wiggler try to take care of Amphy."

Rai nodded and scurried up the curved wall that surrounded Amphy's resting area. He let out a little cry as he let forth a large blast of lighting, lighting up the entire room in an instant. Ethan gave a thumbs up to Rai as he walked over to Amphy. He knelt next to it and looked down at its face, noticing its face looking a bit purple. "Yea, it was poison all right. It must have fainted from it since there was no one here to cure it."

He pulled his backpack off and set it down. Wiggler reached into the front pocket and pulled out a Revive. He took it, hesitating a bit and then put it back in. Wiggler looked at him with a confused look but he winked at him. "I think we'll need a Max Revive. A regular one won't help him much."

They were more than a bit hard to come by and he usually saved them for a rainy day but somehow it felt right using it now. He took it out before opening Amphy's mouth with care, making sure not to be rough or careless. He slipped the item into its mouth before moving its jaw up and down with his hands to get it to chew. After a few more attempts, Amphy began to move its jaw on its own. He backed away as the Pokemon sat up, looking a bit better than before but still sporting that purple hew on its face. He grumbled. "One of these days they'll make a revive that cures status condition too."

He took an antidote that Wiggler had taken out and extended it toward Amphy. "Come on, take it," he said but Amphy shook its head and backed away from him. Even after having taken the Revive, it was still spooked around him? Ethan tried to extend his hand again but Amphy just moved away again, shaking its head. Did it think that maybe...he had harmed it? Of course while it did this little game, the poison continued to take a toll on its health. If it kept this up, he'd be using another revive and going through all of this again. As he tried to extend the antidote, a sweet smell entered the room and a hand reached down toward his and took hold of the antidote.

"Please...let me. Amphy will only take it from me."

He knew that voice from anywhere and let Jasmine take the antidote. She brushed by him like a summer breeze as she knelt next to Amphy and rubbed the back of its head. He got up and walked out of the room, hoping that might make Amphy a bit more comfortable. With the light once again on, he looked around in the bay for that ship that had sat in the water but it was nowhere in the docks like he expected. A couple more yachts had come in and a few ships at the edge of the bay that seemed to have been waiting for the light to return were making their way in but that one ship? Good as gone. He looked at Wiggler and frowned. "You think...that those guys were connected with that ship somehow? Maybe with the light down, that ship could slip in...wherever. There are a bunch of coves around Olivine, maybe they wanted to get in that way?"

Wiggler looked at him, cocking its head sideways and he laughed. "You're right. I could be just making stuff up. I just wish I knew what they were up to. Why was it so important to knock out Amphy unless they were trying to smuggle something in? I mean...I can't think of any other reason why. What benefit is there to knock out the light at the lighthouse?"

Wiggler looked behind him and began to wave its arms. Ethan stood up straight and looked behind to see Jasmine standing in the doorway, arms behind her back. "Thanks again for helping out Amphy. That's...two times now I owe you."

He waved her off. "Ahhh that's okay, really! I don't mind helping out when I can. I was just passing through anyways."

She nodded. "Still...I'm glad. And...I think Amphy is glad too, he's just too shy to show it."

Ethan nodded, rubbing the back of his head. He always found it a bit tough to talk with her. She seemed so quiet and reserved, he felt at times that he might say something bad or dumb, killing any chance he had with her. If he even had one that is. "Oh, I see. I'll keep that in mind."

"You...even gave him a Max Revive to heal him."

"Well hey, might as well put it to good use rather than holding onto it, right?"

She nodded and opened her mouth to speak but closed it instead. She always seemed like she had to take a few moments to gather herself, as if everything she said caused her pain. "You mentioned some guys?"

"Oh yea! There were two goons in the room who knocked out Amphy with the poison. They were dressed in dark clothing so I couldn't see what else they looked like. I had to let them go so I could heal Amphy. That's all I really know, though I think they could be connected to a strange ship that may be hiding in one of the coves around here."

"Troublemakers?"

He nodded. "By the looks of it. I was actually thinking of going down there and checking things out. See if I can find our missing ship."

She frowned. "By yourself?"

He shrugged and looked at Wiggler. "Why not? I may not be the champion but I finished second place to her and have even beaten every gym leader in Kanto and Johto. Why not me? Me and my Pokemon are more than enough."

She nodded. "You're right. I forgot that."

Wouldn't be the first time someone forgot that. "So how is Amphy? Is it feeling much better now?"

"Amphy is doing good but it seems that poison took its toll. It'll need a little longer to recover," she said before gathering herself. "I...was hoping you could let your Raichu remain here just a little longer, until Amphy gets better."

Ethan's mouth fell open for a little but he smiled when he noticed her blushing. "Ahhh it's okay. I'm fine with that. I'm sure Rai won't mind either. He likes to show off every now and then."

"But...will you still be able to go check things out? It'll be dark."

He hadn't thought of that. Without Rai around, he'd need another Pokemon to light up the caves if need be. He began to go over in his head about some of the Pokemon he had stored in the PC and wondering which ones would serve in some capacity. "Heh, that's a good question. I think...I may have some Pokemon that can help fill the void but it'll be tough," he said with a laugh. "I guess I didn't realize how much I'm used to traveling with my team. They all work so well together that if one's missing, things don't work out so well."

She nodded. "Well...I think you'll be able to manage."

He smiled. "You're right. I'll be able to manage. Take care of Rai while I'm gone!"

"Wait," she said. She looked down at the ground. "If there is...something fishy going on here, I have to check it out. It's my duty as a gym leader."

He at Wiggler exchanged a look. He did his best not to show off his excitement at this development but still felt like a little kid in a candy store. "Really? I didn't know gym leaders did stuff like that."

She blushed. "It would be kind of silly for us to just stand around and ignore any wrongdoing going around, especially because we have some of the strongest Pokemon in the world. We just can't let new trainers do all the heavy lifting."

He laughed. "Ahhh that makes a lot of sense. So is this the part where you tell me to go home and let the gym leaders do their thing?"

She shook her head. "How can I...say that?"

"I was just joking. I knew you wouldn't tell me to just go home. I just didn't expect you to come along."

She looked back inside. "Let me explain things to Amphy. I don't want it to get sad or afraid that I'm leaving. Could you wait for me downstairs?"

He nodded. "Sure thing!"

Downstairs, he and Wiggler relaxed on the fencing that surrounded the lighthouse. He looked at the Pokemon with a smug look on his face. "How about that? I've struck out with most of the female gym leaders but perhaps I got a chance here."

Wiggler bounced up and down on the post and he nodded. "Yea, I mean there was Whitney but Aries became a bit too lovestruck with her Miltank and that was the end of that. Clair was...kind of a jerk so nothing happened there. Misty was already taken and was pretty ticked off when I accidently ruined her date. Erica was cool but wasn't looking for a date-"

Before he could finish rattling off his list of shame, his phone buzzed and he pulled it out. He flipped it open and answered it. "Hello, this is Ethan."

"Ethan hello, this is your grandma. Listen, I was wondering if you were-"

"Oh yea, sorry about that grandma! Yea I delivered the Pokemon to our customer but I went to visit a friend after that and forgot to call you and let you know. Do you need anything else?"

"Well no, that's about it. I just wanted to make sure you got there safely and everything went well. May I ask which friend you went to visit?"

He laughed. "Ahh I went up to the lighthouse to check on the Pokemon up there."

"Is that the poor Ampharos that you had to find that medicine in Cianwood?"

"Yep, that's the one. I was in the area and wanted to see how it was doing."

"You did that favor for that young gym leader, right?"

He laughed. "Kind of, yea but I was also happy to help out a poor Pokemon. It was the least I could do, especially since I was headed that way to begin with."

His grandma sighed. "You can't lie with me Ethan. You were trying to impress her-"

"Grandma!"

She chuckled and he rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry Ethan. Oh by the way, guess who stopped by today while you were gone?"

"Who?"

"Why Crystal! She had a Pokemon to drop off, a Murkrow to be precise and we got to talking. She's doing well, she was doing a lot of traveling around Kanto and trying to catch a lot of the Pokemon in that region. She asked about you."

He pursed his lips. That might be a hint. "Is that a hint?"

She sighed. "Well, I'm just saying. You both know each other pretty well and have been friends for like...ever-"

"Yes, exactly friends. That's all we've been. I can be friends with girls you know. I mean I'm friends with some of the female gym leaders-"

"Wasn't that only because your attempts to woo them didn't go anywhere?"

Ouch. He tried to counter that but everytime he opened his mouth to speak, he realized he didn't have an argument. "Well..."

"Do you perhaps...resent her because of her accomplishments especially how they always seem to come at your expense? Like the Team Rocket incident, you and Lance chased them out in Mahogany but she turned up in Goldenrod and defeated the Radio Tower plot. Or-"

"Okay I get your point but I don't resent her. I resent always finishing second but it has nothing to do with her. She just happens to be the person finishing ahead of me in...whatever but I don't resent her. That's kind of petty."

She sighed. "I really think you should go for it. I know you two are friends and all but because you're so used to each other, its easy to overlook how well you two might be for each other."

"I appreciate your concern but I'm-"

"Listen dear, are you busy tomorrow?"

He rubbed the back of his head as he flashed a hopeless look at Wiggler. "Not really. I might sleep in a little but-"

"Good because I had an errand I was hoping you could help me out with. Do you mind?"

He frowned, trying to figure out how they went from that to this. "Well, no. I don't mind. What did you need me to do?"

"It's actually about catching a Pokemon. I was just thinking how helpful it'd be for us to have a Chansey around. I noticed how helpful they are at the Pokemon centers and thought they could really help us out when you're out doing other things."

"Ahhh yea, now that you mention it. That seems like a good idea. So just catch a Chansey for your day care?"

"Yes, that would be nice. Just stop by the day care so I can give you some special Pokeballs that will help in catching them."

He smiled. "Kurt has some new Pokeballs and he didn't call me?"

"Well he actually didn't make them. It's a new Pokeball that the Silph company made. It's supposed to be a bit more effective when trying to catch Chansey. They've become really popular, with people who need a Pokemon to help around the house and with trainers who want to use them in their parties. That's what they told me when I bought some."

He nodded. "Well I can do that. I'll just have to borrow a flier so I can get out to Kanto."

He finished up their conversation, in time to hear someone clear their throat. He turned around to see Jasmine standing by the door. "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't interrupt."

He put away his phone. "No, it's fine. I'm finished with my call so we can be off."

They walked along the shoreline around the eastern edge of Olivine, guided by the light pouring out of the lighthouse. She had taken off her shoes to walk through the sand but he wasn't near as bold. "So do you come out here often?"

She nodded. "Yes, mainly just to sit here and watch the waves roll in. I can't let my Pokemon play in the water so I just sit here by myself."

His eyes widened. "By yourself? That seems like it'd get a bit lonely, especially without even your Pokemon to keep you company."

"I don't mind. You don't like it?"

He shrugged. "Well it's not very fun by myself. I'd need someone or something around. If it's not anyone, I'd let my Pokemon out so they could enjoy themselves."

She nodded. "Yes but my Pokemon don't care much for water. If they did, I'm sure I would."

"I see your point. I guess I think of Steel Pokemon as almost indestructible creatures but there are still things that could cause them harm."

"Yes, you're right. It's my job to protect them from those attacks. H-how is that Steelix I gave you doing?"

He searched his brain for a bit and laughed. "Oh yea, I remember. After you gave me him, I had him in my party for sometime. I didn't have any Pokemon that had defense like him so I liked it. I used him in the Champions League but he got hurt pretty badly against Crystal's Golem so I have been letting him recover at my grandparents day care center."

"I'm glad he's doing okay. It's been...a long time since I entrusted a Pokemon to someone. Everyone thinks steel pokemon are indestructible. And while they are very strong, you just can't mistreat them or ignore them."

"Yea, I was a bit worried so I decided he needed some rest. I think my grandparents are a bit attached so I may have to get him back soon."

"I...remember seeing some of the videos of that tournament."

"Ahhh...you did?" He asked, looking away. "I hope you didn't see the championship match. I made quite a few mistakes in there. I left Wiggler in too long, I didn't bring in Rai until it was too late and...yea just a bad match."

Jasmine covered her mouth. "It was close still. You did well."

He laughed. "Yea, I guess you're right. No one expected a team like that to get to the finals, let alone beat Lance. I think I might have lost earlier if it wasn't for that Steelix you gave me."

She blushed. "I don't think..."

"No really! Crystal had quite a few powerful Pokemon but they had trouble getting past him since he was such a rock. She had to spend quite a bit of time trying to get past him, while in the meantime I was able to launch some attacks of my own. So he came in real handy and I'm glad you gave him to me."

After walking around a bit more, they came across a cove, a bit out of the way and a much longer walk than he anticipated but they found a medium sized boat floating just outside the edge of it. He peered over the edge of one of the ridges and noticed that the cove served to conceal a low lying cave. He looked around but didn't see anyone hanging around. He hopped down and looked at her. "Okay so I don't see anyone around there. My guess is that they're inside the cave. You stay here. If they try to escape, I'm sure you and your Pokemon are more than enough to stop them."

She nodded. "I...can do that. I'll make sure they don't get away."

He gave her the thumbs up before climbing over the ridge. He inches his way along the edge of the cove, making sure not to take too many steps in the water or anything that might cause too much noise. He crept into the cave but kept still, hoping to hear voices. Thanks to the water rolling in and out, it made it tough to hear a thing, forcing him to move in. As he did that, he began to hear faint voices, causing him to smile.

"So, I finished up with these crates here. Any luck? I'm getting a bit tired of searching through all these crates."

"Not a thing, keep looking. We only have a couple more crates to go. If they aren't in there, we move on."

"Do they really think they'll be in one of these crates?"

"The information we have is that one of the plates was being sent over here. We only have to intercept it, that's all. As long as we get the plate, we're good."

Plate? He had heard about something like that from Sinnoh, connected to a legendary Pokemon of sorts. They were kind of vague on it-"

"We were vague because even our bosses were vague with us about it. I get the feeling it's something big and they don't want too many people knowing the details."

He recognized that voice as one of the men who had been in the lighthouse, causing trouble. At least now he knew where they were hiding. "So how did it go at the lighthouse?"

He laughed. "Well things went okay. We were able to poison the Pokemon but then some supposed big time trainer showed up, trying to save the Pokemon."

"Big time? How big time?"

More laughter. "Oh I didn't really care how big time he was. It's funny how trainers earn a badge or two and they think they're ready to take on the world! And get this? What kind of Pokemon did you think he had?"

The others shot out guesses of weaker or obscure Pokemon but he shot down all of them. "He had a Wigglytuff. A Wigglytuff! And he thought he was going to be all tough, I bet if I just sneezed at it, I could blow it away."

The rest of them laughed while Ethan looked over at Wiggler, who looked none too pleased. He patted it on its head. While they seemed like crooks, he wasn't ready just yet to run in and confront them. "How hard was it to get some of these crates off the ship?"

"Not too hard. We just had to threaten them with some of our Pokemon and everything was fine. You should have seen their faces when they saw my Sharpedo in the water. They got real scared in a hurry and were more than willing to comply. You-"

A phone call interrupted him. He began to speak in a lower tone, making it impossible for Ethan to hear. It was brief as the man spoke up a few minutes later. "Hey guys, I think we have to move out. My partner let me know that we have a little spy hanging around the cove. A young woman to be exact and it'd be in our best interests to take a hike."

"A young woman? Why not just chase her off? Shouldn't be too hard."

"Yea but it's the gym leader here. I know for a fact that none of our Pokemon could stand up to her team. It'd be a waste of time and what if the police come around? Nah, let's just get out of here. By the looks of it, all these crates are useless so we'll just leave them."

Ethan and Wiggler snuck out of the cave and crawled up the sides of the cave. They laid low and waited for the men to scramble out. He didn't have to wait long as they scrambled out of the cave, having left the crates behind. They scanned the area, like they expected some police to jump out and catch them. He bent down behind some rocks just in case. After a few, he peeked over the edge in time to see them climb into the boat and speed off. He watched them leave and then noticed a rolled up piece of paper floating on the water. He climbed down and snatched it out of the water. As he opened it up, Jasmine walked around the rocky ridge surrounding the cove. "Did you learn anything?"

"Only that they're looking for some plates connected to a legendary Pokemon. It seems they've been searching for one being shipped here on a ship. They've been stealing crates off ships, trying to find it. Without much luck I might add."

She nodded. "Why did they leave? Did you chase them off?"

He laughed. "I wish. Actually they left because one of their guys say you hanging around the cove and they figured you'd crush their Pokemon so it'd be better to just leave. If there weren't so many, I would have tried to catch them."

He opened the paper up to reveal a large map of the combined regions of Kanto and Johto. At first he began to wonder why they needed a map when he noticed a few areas encircled with a red marker. Locations included the Lake of Rage, Viridian Forest and an area just west of Cianwood City. She walked over to look at it. "Do you know why these places are circled?"

"Nope. I wonder if these could be locations of some more plates. That's the only reason I can think why they're circled. I can't think of any connections to these places, can you?"

She shook her head. "I can't think of any reason actually. I think I'll alert the police to this cove. If they were stealing stuff from ships...I think all those people would appreciate getting their items back...I think."

He smiled at her. "I think that'd be pretty good actually. I might want to check out some of these places when I get the chance. If they're willing to pirate and terrorize people to get these, they're probably up to no good."

Jasmine stepped back. "Olivine City is...usually my problem but if you need any help...I can help out."

He rolled up the paper. "That's not an issue? I mean, what about your gym?"

"If there is something bad going on, dealing with that takes priority of the gym. It's like how at the Radio Tower, Whitney and Bugsy helped Crystal in dealing with Team Rocket or...how Lance and you dealt with the Rockets in Mahogany."

He smiled at the mention of that. "I'm glad to hear someone remembered about that. I see your point though. I'll keep you in mind if I need some help."


	2. Let's Meet the Champion

Ethan let out a grumble as he crossed Ilex Forest with Wiggler. By all rights he should have been at the Day Care center by now but just his luck, the bike got a flat. Forced to park it at the entrance, they had to do it the old fashioned way, by foot. Since it was morning, the many Oddish that made Ilex their home, had retired for the night and buried themselves in the ground. They usually had the decency to not bury themselves in the middle of a path, usually choosing to huddle under the shade of the many trees and bushes that dotted the forest.

Wiggler bent down to pick at one of them and Ethan shooed him away. "No no, just leave them be. If you try and pick them out, they let out a horrible shriek. I'd like to avoid that."

Wiggler nodded and left the poor Oddish alone but stopped in its tracks and walked off the path into the woods. Ethan stepped through the bushes, trying to avoid stepping on some of the Oddish while wondering what had gotten into Wiggler. He looked ahead to see Wiggler standing in front of a small mound of dirt. He raised an eyebrow. If it were an Oddish, he'd expect to find some leaves poking out the ground but not so here. "Huh, what is it? Another Pokemon perhaps?"

Wiggler shook his head but bounced around the small mound of dirt like it had discovered something big. Ethan let out a sigh as he got to his knees and dug into the small mound of dirt with his bare hands. The soil felt real moist to the touch and he thought he could feel a few earthworms slip through his fingers. He looked up at Wiggler, who watched him with interest. "Hey, if you found something, you should try and help me out!"

Wiggler shook his head and continued to watch. Ethan thought about just giving up the dig if Wiggler showed no interest in helping but just as he did that, he felt something in the ground. Smooth like that of steel, even feeling a bit cool to the touch. He grasped it and pulled out a lime green stone sheet, about the size of a book and a few inches thick. He dusted the dirt off it and held it up to look. Wiggler stared at it, almost transfixed by it but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. It looked like just some sort of stone sheet or a...plate of sorts. He got to his feet and looked at it again. "Do you think...this could be one of those plates they're looking for?"

Wiggler continued to stare at it and Ethan handed it to him. "Since you discovered it, you can carry it but I'm going to see if we can find out just what that is."

They left Ilex Forest a few minutes later, entering the route leading up to Goldenrod. Usually this route was full of trainers, eager to take on any other willing trainers in prep for the massive challenge that Whitney provided. Today, not so much. Most of the trainers he knew, like Gina and her team of grass Pokemon or Todd and his Psyduck, seemed too busy tending to their Pokemon than looking for a battle. It looked more like a wasteland than anything else. Wiggler looked at him and he shrugged. He noticed Keith walking his Arcanine up the path and whistled toward him. Keith turned around and nodded toward him. "Well if it isn't Ethan."

Ethan walked over. "Hey, what's going on around here? I was on my way to the Day Care center and it looks like..."

"Well, you can blame the Champion for that."

Ethan frowned for a bit. "The Champion?"

Keith looked at him with an odd look. "You know, Crystal?"

Ethan smacked his head. "Oh yea, right. I keep forgetting at times that she is the Champion."

"I mean you of all people should know since you live in the same town as her and you even lost-"

"Yea, I don't need that reminder," Ethan said. He shook his head. "So...what? Did she just pass through here and demolished everyone?"

He nodded. "Pretty much. Many of the trainers here thought it was pretty great that the Champion would be around and decided to challenge her. What you see is the results of those challenges."

Ethan folded his arms. "Yea I mean, I didn't think being the Champ meant you had to crush any challengers you see. I mean, she doesn't even seem like the type."

Keith shrugged. "Well the Champion is the toughest trainer in the region. You kind of expect them to crush any challengers."

"Yea I guess you're right but crushing all challengers seems a bit harsh. I mean I finished second to her and even when people challenge me, I don't look to crush them. I give them a good battle but I don't find it very fun to crush them. I still don't understand why people expect the Champion to be a tough and intimidating person, Lance was..." he said but let his thought trail off. Keith glanced at him but he laughed. "Oh never mind."

He had to remind himself that not many knew how Lance could be. Many people just knew him as the tall and fearsome looking master of Dragon Pokemon but the Lance he knew was a pretty swell guy, once you got to know him. "Well at least things have been quiet since Team Rocket was defeated."

"Yea I noticed that. I mean the peace is nice and all but sometimes...I kind of wish they would show up again."

"Are you crazy? Do you remember how much trouble they caused, especially for Goldenrod when they took over the entire city? That was a pretty stressful time, for a lot of people. We were hamstrung at times thanks to Team Rocket taking hostages or threatening to harm poor Pokemon."

"I was just kidding. I don't think I'd want Team Rocket to return anyways. I'm just bored. The next tournament for the Pokemon League won't happen for another year and the other regions don't seem to be having them anytime soon either."

"Why not go to the Battle Frontier? I hear quite a few trainers talk about their experiences there and how much they enjoyed it."

He shrugged. "Well it's cool and all. I've been there a few times but it seems like too much work at times. The first few times you can do well and then the rules get crazy. Soon you find the odds are so stacked against you that anything you do will make things worse," he said with a laugh. "I can see how other trainers might like it but it begins to take the fun out of battling for me."

He bore farewell to Keith as he neared the Day Care center. He expected to see more devastated trainers around the corner but found Crystal standing outside the Day Care. She wasn't dressed in one of her usual athletic outfits but something more suited for someone half her age. He did his best not to stare but when you saw an 18 year old wearing a large white poofy hat with a red bow, a red shirt paired with blue jean overall shorts, white stockings that...he couldn't go on. She had her eyes closed, as if in deep thought or hoping someone wouldn't notice her. "Hey Kris!"

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Oh, hello Ethan. I didn't expect to see you here."

He nodded. "Yea...neither did I to be exact. What are you wearing?"

She sighed. "My mom wanted me to model this outfit. You know how she designs clothes and all? This is one of her ideas. I didn't really have much of a choice to be honest."

"I can imagine. So what are you doing here? I was just stopping by to help out my grandma. She wanted to give me some special Pokeballs that are said to be effective in capturing Chansey. I hope so because they're real tough to catch."

She brushed back her ponytail. "Really? Because she asked me over here to do the same thing, just that I'd be helping someone out. She just didn't tell me who but I guess I know who now."

Wiggler let out a squeak and she giggled. He hopped over to her and she rubbed it on its head. "Yep, I guess we know now."

"Wiggler looks really healthy and strong. Have you been out training a lot lately?"

He leaned against the building. "Not really. We've had a few battles here and there but I've been busy helping my grandparents or just hanging out. I'm sure when more Pokemon League stuff starts happening, I'll be back at training some more."

She nodded. "That sounds fun actually. I can't really see you training every day and night. You didn't seem interested in it before so I doubt you would now."

He laughed. "We trained every day...it just wasn't hardcore training. We took it easy from time to time."

"Do you still have the same team or did you add any other Pokemon?"

He looked up at the sky. "Well I have the same party for the most part. My Steelix is here with my grandparents, resting."

When he mentioned the Steelix, Crystal looked away. He looked over at her, a bit perplexed by her response. He looked down at Wiggler to see if he could see her expression but Wiggler bounced toward him with a confused look on its face. "I almost killed that Pokemon."

"K-k-killed? What makes you say that? He's a Steelix! He can handle a lot of punishment!"

"That's what you say but you saw it in our match. It could barely hold its own weight up, it seemed to tremble every second and you could see it wince anytime it attacked."

He gritted his teeth at that memory. It wasn't his best moment as a trainer, even worse that it took place where hundreds could watch. "Well that's on me. I don't know why you're taking it so hard. I should have just pulled him out earlier."

"I should have said something. I noticed that it was hurting and as the Champion, it was my responsibility to be above the fray. If I noticed a Pokemon was really hurting and it's own trainer was unsure, it's my responsibility to step in and make sure the Pokemon is all right. What good is a Champion if all they're interested in was bloodlust?"

He and Wiggler exchanged stunned looks. Was she serious? He didn't even know how to respond to that. Did being the Champion really encompass all those things? "I...am going to go inside and ask my grandma a couple of things."

He walked past her but she avoided his gaze as he walked in, Wiggler right behind. He found his grandma behind the desk, a pile of pink colored Pokeballs on the counter. She looked past him and smiled. "Is Crystal out there?"

He waited until the door closed before he spoke again. "I didn't think two of us were needed to capture some Chansey. I mean, I know they're tough to catch but-"

"Don't you get it Ethan?"

He frowned, hoping this wasn't some sort of riddle. "Well...no. When Crystal told me why she was here, I thought perhaps you didn't think I was skilled enough to capture a Chansey or something. If it was that, to be honest I've already captured a wild Chansey on my own. It was tough and it took some time but I did it. The only reason why I can't just hop over to-"

She let out a loud sigh and he stopped mid thought. "Do you really not see it or are you just pretending you don't see it?"

"See what?"

She chuckled. "Don't let it bother you. I just hope things will go well."

He picked up one of the Pokeballs and looked it over. It took him a few moments to realize he had seen this Pokeball before. He leveled his eyes at her and she smiled, as if she knew the jig was up. "Grandma..."

"...are Love Balls."

"Then...why did you...lie to us..." he said before it began to dawn on him. He shot a glance at the door, hoping Crystal couldn't hear. "You didn't!"

"It'd be pretty rude to just tell her to leave, right?"

He shook his head. "I don't like lying, you know. Kris is a sharp girl and she'll notice right off the bat that these aren't some new Pokeball but just one you can buy in the store already."

She picked up one of the balls and looked at it. "Yes, you're right about that. I imagine it might take her a few moments quicker than you to notice but that really isn't the point. I overheard a bit of what you two were talking about and I think you might be able to help her."

"Help her? I can't even figure out what she's talking about."

"Ethan, trust me. I think it might be real good for both of you-"

"You're only saying that because you want to play matchmaker, right?"

She smiled. "While that was my initial intention, after hearing a small sample of what she said, I think you'd make me more proud if you picked her brain."

"Picked her brain?"

"Yes dear. She seems to have some things on her mind, things she wants to talk about. Who else to talk them over with than her childhood friend?"

He looked down at Wiggler. "Yea but I'm not good at stuff like that. I'm just a Pokemon trainer."

He heard the door open and turned to see Crystal poke her head in. "Oh, ahhh am I interrupting anything?"

"Of course not Crystal dear. How are you doing this morning?"

Crystal gave a half hearted smile. "Oh I'm doing fine really. I was just making sure everything was okay."

"Oh don't worry! Everything is fine. I just was explaining a few things to Ethan. He'll tell you everything you need to know," she said. He looked at her and she winked at him while she pushed a couple of the balls forward. He could do nothing but smile and take a few with him. He turned to Crystal.

"Sorry about that but we can be going now. Are we going by a bird Pokemon or do you want to just take the high speed train?"

"The train is fine."

During the walk into Goldenrod and to the station, she didn't say much, choosing to play with Wiggler instead. He didn't mind to be honest. It gave him time to think about just what to say, if he even had to say anything! Maybe if he was lucky, one question would cause her to start talking but considering this was Crystal, it'd take a bit more to get her to crack. Watching her play with Wiggler, that might be his key.

"Yo Kris, I was wondering, where did you get the idea or impression that being the Champion meant being all those things?"

"Well, what comes to mind when you think of the Champion?"

He put his hands behind his head and frowned. "Well, I usually think of them as the toughest trainer in the entire region and the person most trainers try to strive to become."

She looked at him as if expecting more. "Annnnnd?"

He smiled. "And I guess if there is anything shady going around, they should be one of the first to help deal with it, since they have the strongest Pokemon in the region. That's about it."

She shook her head. "Yea but shouldn't there conduct be any less than excellent? If they're the best trainer in the region, shouldn't they represent the absolute best trainer?"

"I thought if you became the Champion, it already showed how much you and your Pokemon accomplished-"

"I'm talking about conduct as well. To conduct yourself as the Champion-"

"I don't think that means you have to be perfect. No one can do that."

She rubbed the the top of Wiggler's head between his ears. "Not perfect but the best."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself. Being the Champion doesn't mean you have to all of a sudden become the perfect trainer. You got enough on your plate with all the challengers wanting to knock you off and take your title or making sure that nothing shady is going on-"

She looked at him with a frustrated look on her face, one he could share in. "Then what does being the Champion mean to-"

"Excuse me Ms Champion," a young voice said. He noticed a couple of young kids looking up at them, probably around eleven or twelve years old. The boy had been the one to speak up and Crystal let Wiggler down before looking at him.

"Ahh yes?"

The boy looked at his friend, a young girl and then at Crystal again. "I was wondering if we could have a dual battle with you and your boyfriend..."

"Yea! I mean you are the Champion so I figure this guy with you must be decent."

Ethan puffed out his chest. "Decent? I'm probably the second best trainer in the region!"

The two kids looked at each other and then the boy spoke up. "Okay...whatever. So what about it Ms Champion?"

Whatever? It felt like a thumbtack to a balloon, causing him to shrink back a little at being dismissed. He looked over at Crystal, who had blushed a bit. He would really have to defeat her if he wanted an ounce of respect "Well...I'd love to but I'm helping my friend here with an errand so perhaps once we're done with that, we'll have a dual match."

If he had to watch her crush a couple of kids' teams, he'd have to pass. They looked at him and he smiled. "Well I guess but I can't make any promises. I just don't want you guys to be disappointed."

The little boy laughed. "That's okay! We can wait. I just thought it would be real fun to take on the Champion and see how far I have to go! Hopefully I can get good enough to beat her."

Ethan laughed. "I think next time the tournament is going on, you'll be facing me instead of her as the Champion. Just plan on it and take our next battle as training for our eventual battle in the Pokemon League Final."

The boy looked at the girl, who just giggled. "Yea...right. You aren't going to beat Ms. Champion! She's too tough and smart! I think the only people who have a chance would be Lance or perhaps that red haired guy named Silver."

"No way! I think the leader of the Final Four could win it! Or what about the Viridian Gym Leader? He was even the Champion for some time."

Ethan stepped back and looked at Crystal, who had a smile on her face. "Correct me if I'm wrong but all these guys they're talking about? I beat them! All of them! Why does no one recognize that?"

Before she could answer, the boy spoke up. "Hey, do you know the guy in the tournament who had a Wigglytuff? I remember he had a strange party of Pokemon, like a Tauros and Ludicolo. I don't know how he even beat all the gyms with that party but he did."

"Of course he knows! I bet that is why you have a Wigglytuff, right? You were inspired to try that Pokemon out," she said.

How was he supposed to respond to this? They didn't remember the trainer but they sure seemed to remember his team. He smiled at the boy. "Yea, I had a Wigglytuff before but I got discouraged because I kept losing with him. Seeing that guy get that far inspired me to train him again."

The boy nodded. "Yea, I was thinking the same thing. I always thought you could only win with the real strong Pokemoon but I'm glad to see you can win with anything if you want!"

"Really? So what Pokemon would you want to use?"

The boy looked at the girl. "Well for me, I think I'd like a Clefairy, Teddiursa, Bellossom and Aipom. Everyone was telling me before that the party was too weak but I'd really like to make it work. Those are some of my favorite Pokemon, they're all so cute!"

"Yea and I think I'd use Sharpedo, Gengar and Growlithe! I really like Growlithe because I always wanted a little puppy and he's so friendly! Sharpedo is so cool looking and I always have wanted a Ghost Pokemon!"

Crystal smiled. "Those are all pretty cool Pokemon. I really admire you guys for using the Pokemon you want to use instead of just the strongest ones."

She said that but she looked a bit sad when saying it. He wondered why she'd be like that but he could ask later. "Well if you guys have things to do, we don't want to keep you. We still want that match!"

"Of course, we'll do it. It should be fun," Crystal said.

After the two left, she let out a sigh and looked at him. "I kind of envy you at times."

"Why do you say that?"

She smiled. "How you use a team of Pokemon that you like, instead of using a team of strong Pokemon."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I thought that is what you were doing."

"I think...I'm too competitive to do that. I don't want to suffer the setbacks you had when training your team-"

"I didn't really have any setbacks. Okay I had a couple but it usually came when a member of the team had to leave my team, like Vileplume when it wanted to help protect Viridian Forest or Wailord when it had to leave its old pack."

She folded her arms. "How about the fact that you had to repeat your fights with most of the gym leaders?"

"Yea, well I guess that too but that's because I didn't really go in with a great strategy! I felt my Pokemon were strong enough to do without it. Once I realized we had to have some sort of strategy, we did fine."

"What I'm trying to say...is that I don't want to lose, at all."

He exchanged a look with Wiggler and laughed. "None of us like to lose Kris! Even I hate losing! Actually, I think I can handle losing, it's just the thought of getting so close to getting first, only to trip up at the hand. That hurts a little more but..."

"But?"

He grinned. "I was thinking how annoying it was that no one seemed to remember my accomplishments. Sure I had a habit of getting second place but it takes skill to get that far! Then those kids were telling me how they were inspired by my team and it makes me feel better."

"Hmmm."

He looked at her. "You look like you forgot to have fun."

She frowned. "I'm having fun."

He tried not to laugh. "Come on Kris, you aren't having fun. You're taking everything so seriously-"

"I'm the Champion. Would you want a Champion to be some sort of carefree and silly person?"

"Hey!"

She blushed. "I'm sorry but you know what I mean."

He shook his head. "Not really. And I think you'll be a lot happier if you take my bet."

"Your bet?"

He nodded with a smile. "Okay say this, you stop being so serious minded and lighten up a bit about it. Don't worry so much about being all high and mighty and just be yourself...like you used to be before you became the Champion. I know you'll be happier and it'll be good to see you like that."

"Heh and if I'm not?"

He scratched his head. "Well...then...let's see-"

"I've got an idea. My mother has some outfits she'd like a guy to model. If you lose the bet, you have to do it for her."

"That...sounds like a terrible bet to be honest. I'm a little afraid of what she might get me to model...but okay."

"And how long will this bet be?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure about the length but for a start, we'll see how it is once we get done with this little errand for my grandma."

"Fine with me."

In Kanto, thanks to the closure of the Safari Zone, trainers looking for that elusive Chansey were forced to search the routes to the east of Fuchsia. For many, that was preferred to the hit and miss nature of the Safari Zone but even with that little advantage, the Chansey still proved just as elusive as before. Ethan had opted to take the speedy route and travel by Cycling Road. "I hate this route."

Ethan shrugged. "Would you have been happier with us taking the long and scenic route?"

"It's not that. It's just some of the trainers are here are so pushy. You can't enjoy a nice bike ride along the coastline without one of them challenging you to a fight."

He began to pedal backwards in place. "That's why you say no! It's a great word, I tell ya!"

She smiled. "Yea, I guess you're right about that."

"I'll race you down there. I know I can pedal faster than you can!"

She laughed. "Maybe so but I don't want to burn my brakes out and crash into the fencing at the bottom!"

He shrugged and started down the hill. If she wanted to, she could catch up. The skies were a bit cloudy today and a breeze blew in from the sea, causing the air to smell more salty than usual. He zipped by a couple of bikers talking amongst themselves but by the time they noticed him, he was too far gone. He bent down on the bike as he neared a ledge before he launched off it, spinning his bike in the air while he was at it. He landed a bit crooked but not enough for him to fall over. He sped past another biker who called out to him. "Hey kid, where do you think you're going?"

"Fuchsia. If you want a battle, you'll have to catch me at the bottom of the hill!"

"How about now?"

Before he could move out of the way, a Weezing appeared in front of him, emitting a thick cloud of smog in his face. He didn't see the incoming bushes in his way, thick ones at that, causing him to come to a stop and sending him flying to the ground. He landed in some more bushes, breaking what would be a bad fall but leaving him a bit scratched up. He lay there in a daze, noticing the leather clad biker walking over to him. He laughed as Ethan came to. "You...that was pretty stupid, you know that?"

The biker grunted. "And how else am I supposed to get a battle when all the trainers want to come, zipping down the hill at high speeds and going right by us?"

Ethan climbed out of the bushes and dusted himself off. He noticed the Weezing float over toward them and he coughed a bit. "How about not causing me to crash? Now I really don't want to battle you."

He moved toward his bike but the biker barred his path. "Hey, not so fast! While you're here, we might as well battle."

He heard some screeching and noticed Crystal come to a stop nearby. She walked her bike over, first looking at him with concern and then shooting a dirty look at the biker. "Hey, what are you doing? You could have gotten him hurt!"

"Oh look, your little girlfriend here to defend you."

"Ha! I don't need her help to defend myself-"

"Ethan, you're okay, right?"

He waved her off as he pulled out a Pokeball. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine since the bushes broke my fall. Now I'll give this guy the battle he so badly wants!"

He summoned Wiggler, earning another boisterous laugh from the biker, whose belly seemed to shake with each laugh. Ethan looked at Wiggler and winked at him. "A Wigglytuff? Really kid? Now I feel kind of bad about battling you!"

Wiggler took a running start before bouncing off the ground. He took a few more hops before launching high into the air. The biker looked up at Wiggler. "I'd watch out if I were you."

"Are you kidding kid? A Wigglytuff? I bet if I sneeze on it, it would knock that thing out!"

A few moments later, Wiggler plummeted to the ground, smashing into the Weezing first, causing the Pokemon to crash to the ground. He then used his momentum from that hit to bounce into the biker's head, causing him to fall to his knees. Wiggler hopped over to Ethan while he laughed. Wiggler opened its mouth in preparation to sing and he hurried over to Crystal. "Sorry but you might want to close your ears," he said as he covered her ears with his hands. There was a good chance that his attempt to sing might not work but he wasn't about to take that chance. Soon a soothing and calming melody flew out of Wiggler's mouth. Very soon, the biker and his Weezing were lying on the ground, sleeping like babies.

Ethan uncovered her ears and looked at her, though Crystal looked away. "Sorry about that but whenever his song works, anyone who hears it will fall asleep hard."

She finally turned to look at him but it looked as if her cheeks were still a little red. "So...um, what happens when it doesn't work?"

"Well, he'll either sing really badly and cause everyone to wake up, plus he won't be able to sing them to sleep again because they'll keep remembering his awful tune. Or he'll sing in a deep, baritone voice that causes any nearby female Pokemon to fall hopelessly in love with him."

"He'll what?"

Ethan laughed and noticed Wiggler walk over to the biker and drawing funny faces on his face. "Yea, I tried to practice with him at a karaoke machine so he can get better but it doesn't seem to have helped."

He walked over to his bike and pulled it out of the bushes. "I was a bit worried there. You had taken a big fall. I don't get it though, that guy could have gotten you seriously hurt and you retaliate by...humiliating him?"

"Was I suppose to deal with him another way?"

She pursed her lips and then shook her head. "I guess not."

He summoned Wiggler back to its ball. "Shall we be going?"


	3. Do we have a love triangle?

Wiggler let out another tune, even more off tune than before and Ethan watched some Pokemon scurry from the grass, some covering their ears while they ran. He looked at Crystal, who just uncovered her ears. "So it still isn't working?"

"Nah, I guess he's just having a string of bad luck. If we want to catch a Chansey, we'll have to do something else."

Crystal laughed. "Well then, I guess I'm glad I brought this Pokemon with me. I use her a lot to catch other Pokemon and she's usually does the trick."

"What kind of Pokemon is it?"

"A Gastly. I often have trouble trying to catch Pokemon with my regular party because they're so strong and even their weakest moves can knock out wild Pokemon so I use her instead."

He looked at Wiggler. "Using a Pokemon mainly to catch other Pokemon. I guess I hadn't thought of that."

She smiled. "You should try it. It might help you a bit if there are some Pokemon you haven't caught yet."

He laughed. "You might be right but I think I have all the Pokemon I want. I'm pretty happy with the team of Pokemon I have."

She frowned. "You have a team of five, right? I really think you could use another one. I noticed that your party is pretty weak against fighting Pokemon. What happens if you run into a trainer who has one of those?"

Wiggler let out an annoyed squeak and he laughed. "Ahhh well Wiggler is prepared for that. He knows Bounce and Psychic. Both of those attacks will bring any fighting Pokemon to their knees. Plus he can take a few hits."

She pursed her lips. She then began to twiddle with her fingers, a look he had come to know. If she was doing it, it usually meant she was doing her absolute best not to seem like she was being overly concerned. She kept doing it and he could feel what was coming next. "I know, I know. It's just...I really don't want to see that happen."

"Huh? See what happen? Me get defeated by a fighting Pokemon? We'll be fine!"

She sighed. "I know but-"

"You worry too much. Why are you so worried though?"

She folded her arms. "Don't get me wrong, I love being the Pokemon Champion and all but if I have to lose my title, I'd prefer to lose it to you than anyone else. And if you get taken out by some trainer who-"

"If I get taken out, wouldn't it just mean I'm not the guy to be taking the crown from you? Besides, I don't plan on losing to anyone next time around! I'll be back in the finals like before."

"That's good but...but...if there were a Pokemon you'd add to your team, who would it be?"

Shouldn't they be trying to catch that Chansey? Getting past that, he still had to check out those cliffs with Jasmine to see if the map lead to anything. He glanced at Crystal and knew he'd have to answer first. "Well maybe a fire Pokemon I guess-hey, there's a Chansey!"

"Huh, where?"

He pointed off in the distance, in some grasses near some trees. It had its back to them and looked to be just poking around the area. Crystal nodded and pulled out a Pokeball. "Hopefully she won't run off."

Crystal summoned her Gastly and she winked at it. The Gastly laughed before flying toward the Chansey. She looked at him and smiled. "Let's just follow from behind. She generally knows what to do in this situation."

"What if the Pokemon is a higher level?"

"She's fast enough to deal with that and usually the opposing Pokemon is asleep before they can do anything. They never know what hit them."

He began to respond but heard his phone ring. "I'll take this."

She nodded and hurried ahead. He checked the ID and noticed it was Jasmine's. What could she be calling for? "Hello?"

"Oh...uh...hello. This isn't a bad time, right?"

He looked over at Crystal, who seemed only interested in watching Gastly terrorize the poor Chansey. From the looks of it, they had things under control. "Not really. What's up?"

"You know how you said on the map, a location west of Cianwood had been circled?"

"Oh yea of course! What about it?"

"Well...I decided to check it out this morning but I didn't get very far. Me and Rusty searched all around for something but nothing. I wonder if we would have to search the many caves."

"Hmmm, that's my guess. It's too bad you haven't found anything yet but I'm sure we might come across something."

She sighed. "Do you think you'll be making it over here today?"

He looked over at Crystal, who was still busy with the Chansey but at least it hadn't run off or anything. In a couple of minutes, she'd probably have it captured and they could be on their way. "Sure. Two pairs of eyes is probably better than one and if we have to search a bunch of those caves, it'll go quicker that way. I just have to finish up an errand for my grandma and then I'll get over there pronto. It shouldn't take long."

"Okay...that's good. Let me know when you can get here so we can go check it out."

"Sure thing!"

"Oh and...about your Raichu. Rai is it called?"

"Yea?"

"I...have him with me. Amphy is feeling much better now so he took over for Rai. I can give you him when you get over here. "

"That's great! I missed having him on hand so it'll be good to have him back."

"Oh...I hope it wasn't any trouble. I'm gonna feel bad if you were in a battle and you really needed him."

He looked at Wiggler and shook his head. Between her and Crystal, he had never meet a bigger duo of worrywarts. "Nothing like that at all. I'm just used to having all my Pokemon with me and it never feels right when I have to be with one. I've been managing just fine. You don't have to worry. He was glad to help, I'm sure of that."

"He seemed real happy. I'm glad it wasn't any trouble to you. Amphy appreciates the help too."

"I just wish she had accepted that medicine from me."

"It's okay. Amphy is very shy toward anyone. There are very few she actually trusts but...I think she could learn to trust you eventually."

"That's cool. I'm sure if I have to keep giving her medicine from time to time, she'll have to learn to trust me eventually," he said as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Crystal standing next to him, holding up a Pokeball. He nodded at her. "Look, I have to be going but I'll call you when I get in town, okay?"

"That's allright. I'll see you later."

He finished up and put his phone away. "Who was that?"

He laughed. "I'm sorry for sort of ditching you like that Kris. That was just Jasmine. I've been helping her with a little investigation and was just confirming some information for her."

"Hmmm, investigation? Criminal?"

He nodded. "I think so. It's probably nothing big but it can't hurt to check out, right?"

She looked a bit concerned. "I guess. Just what kind of criminal activity do you think it could be?"

"Stealing for the most par. They seem to be after something but we aren't really sure yet. If it starts to get a bit bigger, I'll let you know."

Crystal folded her arms. "It's good that a gym leader is involved if stuff like that is going on but I wonder if it should be me instead. I mean she has her gym to tend to and what if there are trainers who want to battle her for the badge?"

He smiled. "A little waiting never hurt anyone. They could just go out and get some more training for a tough gym battle."

"Oh, you're right but I think that if anything, the Elite Four and the Champion should check it out first and allow the gym leaders to run their gyms. That way, things can still run fine and if things really get hairy, then the gym leaders could be called in."

He gave her a smug look and she frowned. "I guess."

"And didn't you say yourself that should be one of my main concerns? Forget all the superficial stuff and just concentrate on being myself and helping look after the region if need be?"

His mouth fell open, not expecting his own argument to be used against him. "I...see your point but she wants to help. I don't want to feel like I'm kicking her to the curb or something."

Crystal smiled. "You wouldn't be kicking her to the curb. She just...hmmm, well you two already had something planned but how about this? I will also help out if I can. That way if it's the beginning of something big, we can snuff it out before it gets too big. I figure with the might of a gym leader and two of the strongest trainers in Kanto and Johto."

Well at least she wasn't trying to kick Jasmine to the curb. "That seems like it'd work just fine."

"Good! Well we better get this Pokemon back to your grandma. She's probably wondering what's taking us so long."

He looked at Wiggler. "Oh, I don't think she minds too much."

They arrived back in Goldenrod and he noticed Crystal looking around, here and there. He began to follow her lead but couldn't figure out just what she was looking for. Then it dawned on him. "Hey, weren't we supposed to battle those two kids?"

"That's what I was thinking but I don't see them around. At all. Perhaps they had something else to do."

He smiled. "You seem a bit disappointed actually. Were you looking forward to crushing them that badly?"

She gasped and blushed a bit. "I-It's not that," she said while shaking her head. She put her hands on her hips and sighed. "It's just, I don't get many chances to fight in double battles so I thought it would have been real fun."

He shrugged. "I guess you're right. I haven't been in many doubles battles myself. I mean the only reason why I'd do them is if I have a partner who I feel can trust."

"Exactly. It makes it a bit hard. I mean it isn't very fun when I'm facing two trainers and I have to send out two of my own Pokemon."

She let out a sigh. "Well perhaps we'll run into them another time. I mean it'd be cool to battle them but I really hate waiting around."

She laughed. "Besides that, I was just curious. What were those guys stealing?"

"Huh? Oh...them! Well they seem to be looking for plates."

She raised an eyebrow. "Plates? Plates, really? Umm, what kind of plates are we talking about?"

He took off his backpack and set it down. He opened up the main compartment and pulled out the lime green plate that Wiggler had discovered. She took it and looked it over, a bored expression forming on her face. She shook it a little to test its weight and stared at it a bit more. "So yea, Wiggler discovered that and we think that's what the guys are after."

She finished looking it over and handed it back to him. "I don't get it though. What's so special about that? It just...well it doesn't look like much of anything to be honest."

He put it back into the backpack. "I know. It's supposedly tied to some legendary Pokemon but this is the first time I've heard of them."

She touched her chin. "Perhaps its tied to a legendary Pokemon in another region. That could be why we don't know anything about it. I mean if any of us had come across this, we'd probably just leave it alone too."

He began to speak and noticed someone standing nearby, an older looking man with a shiny dome of a head. He wore dark clothing underneath a large brown trenchcoat. He had a bushy white beard and wore a pair of dark glasses. Standing next to him was a powerful and cranky looking Salamence. He noticed Ethan's attention and looked away, appearing to be staring at the sky instead. "Huh-"

"Ethan?" She asked before looking off where he was staring. The man seemed to notice the extra attention he had earned and turned down a side street. She watched him leave. "What a strange man. He seemed a bit interested in what we were talking about."

"Yea but I don't trust him for some reason. Call it a hunch."

She laughed. "Are you discriminating because of the Pokemon he had with him? Salamence are well known for being pretty violent at times and if there was one Pokemon that could be considered downright mean-"

"Now you have me even more worried! Ha, let's just get out of here. Grandma is probably waiting."

Back at the Day Care, she seemed more than pleased that they had got the Chansey. "Oh that's wonderful! I'm glad it wasn't much trouble for you. I know Chansey can be hard to catch and all but I knew sending you two would do the trick."

Crystal handed it over to her and nodded. "Yes, of course. It was no trouble at all. We probably had more time to just chew the fat and waste time than catch that little Chansey. I hope you take good care of her."

"Oh don't worry about that dear. We give the utmost care to every Pokemon that enters the building. And even those outside of it."

Crystal smiled before looking at Ethan. "I'm sorry but I have to be off. Thanks again for the wonderful morning Ethan and take care."

She left soon after and he let out a sigh as she did. He heard his grandma chuckle and he looked at her. "Huh, what's so funny?"

"Oh, you two."

He shook his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She gave off one of her sly smiles. "Oh, it means what I want it to mean. She seems to be in a real good mood. Before she seemed a little pensive and agitated but now she seems more like the Crystal I knew before she became a Champion."

He laughed. "Well I just had to remind her that she doesn't have to act all high and mighty as the Champion but to just be herself. I think she'll be a lot better off."

"Well I'm just happy things seemed to work out okay. I may have another little errand for you two to-"

"Us two? I mean sure hanging out with Crystal is cool but I really think you should stop pushing this so much."

"Pushing it so much? You act like I've been doing this for awhile."

He folded his arms. "Well...you have a point there. Still, I hope you wouldn't be so gungho about it."

She laughed. "I'm just helping you out. I see you all the time trying to flirt with girls and get turned down. I know you try and you're a good guy so I'm just helping you out."

"It's not that bad! I've had...some luck."

She chuckled. "I'm just saying, your methods haven't worked out too well and I think I can help."

"I appreciate your help but...ahhh never mind. As long as you don't get carried away," he said with a shrug. "I have to be going too so I'll see you later. You didn't have anything for me to do, right?"

She shook her head. "Nope dear. It's slow today but we'll see about tomorrow. You go do whatever you have to do."

This time, he borrowed a flier to get down to Olivine, using the seldom used Fearow to get down there within a matter of minutes. He summoned her back to the Pokeball and pulled out his phone. He was about to dial when he remembered where she usually was around the early afternoon. He walked down to the last row of buildings that sat just beyond the harbor and made a beeline for the cafe. He could remember the first time he had found her in here, a surprising amount of plates before her. He was lucky enough to leave before she had noticed but would he be lucky this time?

He pushed the doors open, greeted by the smell of greasy food and the sound of plates being stacked atop each other. Sitting at the counter, near a large stack of empty bowls, her head on the counter, sat Jasmine. He walked over to her and noticed she had fallen asleep. He looked up at the cook behind the corner and he shrugged. "She usually nods off after a big meal. I usually just let her nap since she's such a great customer."

He chuckled as he dried out a large glass and Ethan nodded. He walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "H-h-huh?" She mumbled. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Oh...I guess I fell asleep again."

"Hey Jasmine."

"A-Ahhh!" She said as she jumped in her chair and almost fell out of her seat. She knocked a few bowls off the stack, causing them to hit the ground. He gritted his teeth as he could count about three bowls breaking. She looked at him and blushed.

"Ahh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to spook you."

She looked across the counter and down at the broken bowls. "Ohhh..."

"Hey don't worry about it. I'll pay for it since I kinda spooked you."

She shook her head. "No, no. Don't worry about it. I...just...umm..." she said, trying not to blush even more. He looked over at the stack of bowls and rubbed the back of his head.

"I think...I'll just go stand outside now," he said as he walked away, whistling.

Outside, he let Wiggler out of its ball before leaning against a nearby lamppost. He let out a sigh. "I guess I screwed that one up again, huh Wiggs?"

Wiggler let out a squeak, usually a curious squeak. He shook his head and folded his arms. "Yep, I really did screw that up. And I thought I might have gotten somewhere and then that had to happen."

The door opened and he turned to see Jasmine walk out. She brushed back her hair in the mild breeze and smiled at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd get out here so soon."

He nodded. "Yea, I didn't want to keep you waiting so I hurried over."

"I...ummm-"

"Oh and don't worry about all those bowls. I figured you work quite an appetite by doing the Pokeathelon and stuff. I mean I've done the Pokeathelon and I felt like I couldn't get enough food. Don't be embarrassed at all."

She blushed again. "You...compete in the Pokeathelon too?"

He nodded. "Sure, I do it quite a bit now that there won't be any Pokemon League stuff going on for some time. It's the best way to keep my Pokemon in shape and sharp. Otherwise we'd both get fat and lazy. I don't know about you but I'd hate that. My Pokemon are the same way so we both enjoy the Pokeathelon."

She relaxed a bit as she stopped blushing. "I'm the same way though I also do the Pokeathelon because Steel Pokemon can be a bit slow and I wanted to help them get faster. Plus it is kind of fun."

He nodded. "Yep, it is a lot of fun. We should compete in some of the events sometime. Maybe as a break from all this investigating."

"About that...how are we going to go about checking out all those caves?"

"We split up! That way we can cover all the caves in half the time."

She put her hands behind her back. "If I can...make an objection."

He nodded. "Sure thing. I'm all ears."

She looked around a bit, as if expecting nosy ears. "Perhaps we should...head over there first? Then we can decide what to do."

Just his luck, the caves she indicated that they'd be searching were all in the water. Spelunking was pretty fun but doing it while walking in mid shin high water wasn't his preferred method of spelunking. They stood on some sand at the water's edge, the large cliffs looming overhead like a powerful guard. Jasmine had already taken off her shoes and pointed out some of the caves they'd be exploring. "So...these are the caves. I already explored the caves to your right but there were only a few."

He laughed. "I see. You made sure I actually had something to do so you chose to leave this side of the cliffs alone."

"H-huh? It's nothing like that! I-"

He held up a hand and smiled. "I was just kidding. Just kidding. I figured you leave the majority of the caves alone. And I'm kind of glad because I would have been a bit bummed if there was nothing for me to explore. Even if I have to wander through some muck."

She nodded. "So...ahhh...do you still want to split up?"

"Well...why not?"

She let out a sigh and looked over at the caves. "We took this map from some pirates, right? I'm...ahhh sure that they realized the map is missing. If they figure out that someone else might be after what they're looking for...ahhh-"

"I think I see your point. It'd be pretty ugly for us if one of us were ambushed by one of the pirates and couldn't be rescued," he said. He pulled out one of his Pokeballs and she glanced at it. "I'll leave one of my Pokemon here to stand guard. That way if he notices something, he'll let us know somehow."

She put her hand on his hand holding the Pokeball. She looked straight at him and shook her head. "All of us...umm...together. If one of us gets ambushed by a bunch of pirates-"

"Well...I guess I won't argue with that logic!"

Wait, this couldn't be right. Usually a girl would do her best not to get stuck with him for any amount of time and yet she was insisting on it? Even if it was mainly for protection, that had to be a start, right? He took off his socks and shoes, letting out a groan. "I hope we can find anything," she said.

"Well as long as we got here before those pirates and we find it quick enough, I think we'll be fine. It'll just be tough to see in all this darkness. Rai will be able to help us there I think."

Just as he expected, the bottom of the caves was full of murky and muddy water. Every step he took felt like more mud was getting caked on but Jasmine didn't seem to mind, walking just a step ahead, guided by her Magneton. It lit up a good portion of the cave for them, a pretty empty cave by the looks of it. He had Wiggler hopping ahead but this time around, Wiggler didn't notice anything. There was a distinct smell in the air that he felt he had smelled before but couldn't put his finger on it. "Hey Jasmine. Do you smell anything?"

"Just the...salty air. And something else. I can't figure out why it reminds me."

"Yea, me too! I know I've smelled it before but I can't figure out why. Kind of bugs me. Besides that, I don't think we're going to find anything in here."

She looked at him with a curious look. "What makes you so sure?"

He looked over at Wiggler. "Well, before Wiggler was able to detect


	4. Team Rocket demands Bloodshed!

Ethan kicked at some of the rocks and dirt covering the entrance. "I can't believe they just did that! Who do they think they are? Don't they know who we are? Just wait, wait until I see them again!"

Wiggler clawed at the dirt and rocks but its small arms prevented it from getting anywhere. He put his foot on one of the rocks. "Don't waste all your energy. I'll have to summon the others to help out."

He looked back at Jasmine, who hadn't moved from the corner. She shook her head and stared down at the ground. "How can you be so...so..."

"Not scared? Well they didn't do a great job of burying us alive. They barred the entrance but big deal. I'm sure with all of our Pokemon working together, we can get out of here in no time!"

She shook her head and he frowned. "I-I-It's not so simple. We just can't dig out ways out. Not now."

He scratched his head. "Why not? Wouldn't we just dig our ways out? Pull the rocks and dirt away and crawl out. What's so hard about that? I think I'm missing something."

She let out another sigh. "It's my fault."

He and Wiggler shared a look. "I don't get it. How is it your fault? Do you think we should have split up now? Or that I should have left a Pokemon out as a guard?"

She slumped to the ground and buried her head in her arms. "The tides."

Wiggler let out an excited squeak but it didn't seem like a happy one. "The tides?"

"I just noticed that this is around the time the tides come in. They rise pretty high, much higher than this cave. If you try to dig us out, the water will pour in and drown us but if you don't dig us out, the water will seep in and drown us then."

He felt as if someone had delivered a swift punch to his gut but he pushed that aside and turned his attention back to the wall. "Then we better hurry! If we dig fast enough, we can get out of here before the tide rolls in! Come on!"

He turned to see Wiggler pull away a large rock, just in time for some water to come squirting through. At first a light stream of water, it soon became a strong little stream of water. He started at it for a bit and then looked at her. She noticed it and paled. "They're trying to finish us off sooner."

"That isn't the tide?"

She shook her head. "The tide could take a couple of hours to roll in. They're doing something else to cause all the water to come in."

"Then...what do we do. If water is coming in, digging out would be a pretty bad idea."

She got to her feet. "Or if you try digging out, we'd just drown sooner instead of-"

"Hey! I don't want to die yet! We'll get out of here somehow! Maybe if we dig out a good enough sized hole, we can swim out."

"Against the tide?"

He shrugged. "Well it's better than waiting here, I think. Wiggler, use Hyper Beam!"

Wiggler jumped back and a bright aura appeared around its body. It unleashed a bright beam of energy that hit the wall of rocks and dirt like a train, pushing them through, causing sunlight to break through but also allowing more water to pour in. By the looks of it, in the hour or so they had been trapped, the tide had already risen to shoulder height. It poured in through the hole Wiggler had made and Ethan backed up. He backpedaled to the back wall with Jasmine as the water continued to rise. "It's...not pushing the rest of the rocks in."

"I was hoping it would, then it'd be easier to try and swim out. I bet if it was a stronger tide or even a tsunami, it'd easily knock those rocks away-"

"Which would kill us."

He looked at Wiggler, who gasped for air as it floated atop the water. "And he still has to recover after using Hyper Beam. Guess I'll just have to do it myself."

He waded through the water which had risen to his stomach and over to the wall. He grabbed at one of the rocks and pulled it back. He let it roll to the ground before he stood on it and pushed against some of the other rocks. He noticed Jasmine walk up to the other side and do her best to open up the hole. He continued to push at the rocks until they gave way, allowing more water to push through the widening hole. "The tide isn't too strong, we might be able to swim out," she said, the first optimistic thought she had said since they had realized their predicament. He smiled.

"See, I told you! Now-owww!" he yelled as his leg felt as if it had stabbed with a hundred tiny needles at once. Soon his leg went numb and he found it tough to stand, having to grab hold of the rocks to stay up right. Jasmine looked at him in shock.

"What happened?"

He grimaced through the pain, trying to keep ahold. "Something stung me. My leg...has like gone numb. Man that hurt."

She stopped trying to widen the hole and hurried over to him. He grasped the rock with his other hand to steady himself but the pain began to go up his leg and down into his other leg. The pain went from being stabbed with hundreds of needles to a searing hot pain causing him to feel weak and drowsy. He felt his fingers slip from the rocks but Jasmine grabbed ahold of his wrists and shook her head. "You aren't going anywhere! Can you move your legs?"

"...they've both gone numb."

"Then let me pull you through-"

"No, no. You'll just tire yourself out trying to do that. I'll pull myself...out."

She took out a Pokeball and summoned a Prinplup. She pushed herself up to speak as the water continued to rise. "Prinplup, can you take him out first? Take him to somewhere safe and then come back for me."

"H-huh? I can't let you do that-"

"Yes, you can," she said. "I'm fine, I can swim out but you've been stung and you're weak from the sting. If you tried to do it yourself, you might drown."

She walked over to him and pushed him toward the waiting Pokemon. He had his doubts about that small penguin like Pokemon being able to drag him out but as soon as he grasped its legs, it pulled him along with an ease he expected from a larger water Pokemon like Gyrados or Dewgong. It dragged him over to some dry land on Route 47 and he dragged himself up the small embankment and onto the warm grass. He pulled off his backpack and laid down on the grass, gasping for air. He heard a few squeaks and saw Wiggler float over. He gave a weak laugh despite the pain. "Ahh Wiggs. Sorry about that. It got a bit hectic in there."

He closed his eyes, hoping that he could perhaps sleep it off. The searing pain forced him to snap to attention and he reached down to touch his leg. As he did that, the pain intensified again and he pulled back. "Okay, maybe not."

Jasmine returned a minute or two later. She climbed up the embankment and crawled over to him. "H-how are you doing?"

He looked up at her, hair hair clinging to her face and her dress clinging to her body, causing him to look up at the sky instead. "I...uh...am still hurting."

She got to her feet and squeezed out some of the water from her hair. Prinplup crawled up the embankment and she smiled toward him. "Thanks Prinplup but we need to go get some help for him. Don't worry Ethan, I'll be back soon. The Safari Zone isn't far at all."

He nodded. "Yea, thanks. I'll...ugh be fine for now."

She and her Pokemon hurried off while he looked over at Wiggler. "Well...that was fun, right?"

"You know, you were pretty lucky that the sting you got was from a pretty young Tentacool. The weak ones can give you some pretty nasty stings but the symptoms aren't as bad as getting stung by a full grown one or even a Tentacruel," the Ranger said as he administered an antidote to Ethan's leg. Ethan looked up at the other Ranger and Jasmine with a smile.

"Aren't as bad? It hurt pretty bad to me."

He laughed. "They all hurt but the other stings will hurt even more thanks to the additional symptoms you go through."

The other Ranged, who went by the name of Jack, pulled out a notepad and pen. "Just what were you two doing down there around this time anyways? I take it you two were unaware about how the tide is around here."

He noticed Jasmine blush and spoke up before she could. "We knew but kind of overlooked it because we were concerned about some possible criminal activity."

"Criminal activity What kind?"

"Theft from the looks of it. We...had uncovered part of the plot in Olivine," she said.

"Yea and..." he began to say before wincing a bit from the pain. The Ranger tending to him, Olly, shook his head.

"Calm down, you need to rest. She can explain it."

"We had found them smuggling crates full of possessions they had stolen from ships out at sea. They seemed to be searching for something called a Plate. We...weren't sure but we found a map they had dropped and the caves by Cianwood were one of them. That's...why we were out here."

Jack frowned. "We had heard reports about some pirates terrorizing pleasure cruisers and yachts with a Sharpedo so perhaps there's a connection. If so, that explains why a Gym leader got involved."

"Yes...that's the reason why I've been helping out. I understand this area is generally Chuck's jurisdiction but since I had already been involved from the start, I decided to continue asssisting Ethan."

Olly laughed. "That's good and all but shouldn't you have gotten the help of another gym leader?"

Not that again. He let out a groan and heard Jasmine laugh. "I could have but he hasn't been a burden. We would have been fine if we weren't attacked by a couple of men dressed in Team Rocket uniforms."

"Team Rocket? How can that be, they were defeated by the Champion! Didn't they promise not to come back this time?"

"That's what we thought. We didn't really get to ask them much else because they collapsed the cave entrance on us. They tried to bury us, otherwise we might have left before the tide had come in."

Jack shook his head. "That's not good at all. Perhaps we should notify the police so they can be on the lookout for them as well."

"I-It's for the best. They had a couple of crates full of Pokeballs in that cave."

Olly nodded. "Yea, other trainers have been reporting to us about that. We have people fetching them now. If they were stolen, perhaps we can find a way to return them to their trainers."

He stood up. "I've finished here but I'd suggest you to rest for a bit. You don't need to stay here overnight but you need to get some rest before you try to move around again. I'll be back shortly."

"And I'm going to contact the police and explain the situation," Jack said.

The two Rangers left, leaving the two alone in the room. He laid back on the bed and grumbled. "This stinks! I hate being stuck somewhere, unable to do anything. Especially after those guys got away with what they did!"

She put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. If they were after the plate and it was there, they can't get to it either."

"I guess but that was a bit cowardly. They knew they couldn't handle our combined might and had to do something like that instead."

"You weren't scared about being stuck in that cave and possibly drowning?"

He laughed. "Scared? I was scared! I was just too scared of being scared. If I got scared, I might not have tried to find a way of escape. I might have just curled in a ball and waited for the water to overtake me. Or when I had gotten stung, I could have just let go and slipped into the water."

She let out a sigh. "Please just...be yourself. I don't want you trying to hide things or ignoring this...just to impress me. You don't have to."

Yes but was that good or bad? "I don't have to?"

She blushed and looked away. Still as meek and shy as ever. He still wasn't sure where that put their friendship, if there even was one. She had to be the hardest person to read. You think she's happy and she could be sad. She could be frustrated and you wouldn't even know. "I...just...don't know how to say this."

"Well no rush. I'm not going anywhere for a bit."

"Ahh...yes..." she said before he heard a phone go off. It didn't sound like his and he looked over at her. She pulled out one and answered it but not before walking out. Olly returned a few minutes later and looked around.

"Where's your friend?"

"Taking a call. So did your friend get in contact with the police?"

He nodded. "Yep, yep he did. The police were more than a bit concerned about what happened. They'll be looking into it. Actually they asked if you would not involve yourself in this."

He almost sat up and Wiggler let out a squeak. "Wait, why? Do they think I'm some sort of...dead weight or something?"

"Well it's not that. They just think that this is something that the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four should help look into. You're not a Gym Leader or part of the Elite Four. Your claim to fame is getting second place in the Pokemon League."

He laughed. "My only claim to fame?

"Hey, that's what they said. It's not against the law for you to help, it's just they'd really be happy for you to just return home. Live the normal life of a teenager, away from dangers and perils like that."

Jasmine entered the room again and Olly glanced at her. "Oh hey. I was just explaining to your friend about what the police had advised-"

"Yea, like going home and having a nice quiet life, away from all of this. Where's the fun in that."

"I think that's what they're concerned about. If they're already willing to try and kill you, it's getting pretty serious, not the kind of situation you want to be in. Next time you might not be so lucky."

"Hey...I think I can handle myself. I've been doing so before and I've deal with criminals before. They...just didn't try killing me before."

Olly sighed. "I'm not trying to dampen your hope but if the police ask you politely to not get any more involved, it's for the better. Believe me, I've been there and I was glad I got out when the getting was good."

He was really trying to dampen the mood! Ethan felt like calling him a killjoy but decided against it. "I mean I hear what you're saying but I'm not some rookie trainer. I helped put away Team Rocket last time, like in Mahogany Town where me and Lance chased them out of there or when we confronted Giovanni. I don't know why...oh forget it."

"Well then perhaps you can talk with them and explain. Maybe they'll reconsider."

After Olly had left a second time, he sat up and looked over at her. "Well you don't have to stay here. I'm sure you have stuff to do."

"I...will have to return to Olivine. There are some trainers wanting to earn a badge and I told them I'd be over. I-I-I was wondering if you could...umm...visit."

"Visit the gym? You mean like check it out or actually go there and watch you take on a few trainers?"

She nodded. "Watch me...take on some trainers-"

"Sure thing! I've always wanted to watch gym leaders take on trainers. It's one thing to take them on but it's another to watch them take someone else on."

"Ahhh...thanks. I would like that."

This would certainly be a new experience. So often he was used to coming through the doors of the gym, first taking in his surroundings and finding out which type they specialized in. Then fighting through the various trainers or gym groupies as he like to call them, before finally reaching the gym leader in the back room. Instead he and Wiggler sat atop some rocks that dotted the area where Jasmine would take on the would be challengers. He smiled a bit, remembering the first time he had come in here to take her on. It was after taking a long surf to Cianwood to get the medicine, while making a side stop to take on Chuck before making his way back across the ocean. And even before that, he had to brave the Olivine lighthouse filled with trainers to talk to her in the first place!

He looked over at Jasmine, who had Magneton floating nearby, the Pokemon she seemed to like sending out first. "So how many trainers do you usually get a day?"

"Maybe...one or two. Sometimes more. We're a bit out of the ways so...we don't get as many as other gyms."

"Yea and since you are using a type that is pretty new, most trainers won't know how to attack it yet."

She nodded. "I...remember you getting past me pretty easily-"

"Well yea but I got some pointers from Crystal. When she told me the attacks that would harm Steel, I came up with a way to take them down."

She opened her mouth to speak again but the doors opened and a pair of trainers walked in. One was a young blond haired man, dressed in a colorful biker's outfit. It bore a bunch of logos from various companies but Ethan thought it made him look like a walking glow worm. The girl had a dirty blond look going on and also wore a bike outfit but her's was a bit less colorful and more subtle. The guy noticed him at once and laughed. "Haha, you're telling me we have one more trainer to get past?"

"Perhaps we can have a double battle instead?" The girl asked. She shrugged. "I know he isn't an actual gym leader but-"

Ethan laughed as he hopped down. "Well the problem is that while I'd love to take you two on, I'm not an actual trainer here. I mean...I don't really have any steel Pokemon with me."

The guy laughed. "Then why are you here? I mean all of the other trainers here had some Steel Pokemon-"

"Jon, perhaps he's just visiting or something. I mean it's not unheard of. Didn't we run into that man named Eusine at Morty's gym? And he was just visiting an old friend when we happened to visit."

Jon laughed. "Haha, perhaps you're right. I had forgotten about that."

Ethan looked at Jasmine. "Even so, this is an official Gym leader battle so I can't participate. Though I would love to."

The girl looked at Jon. "What if we put off our official battle and just do an unofficial doubles battle?"

"You mean instead of taking her on for the badge, just have a doubles battle with these too? That doesn't sound like a bad idea Kate. That way we'll be even more prepared for the official battle!"

Jasmine stepped forward. "I don't mind...at all. Ethan doesn't seem to mind."

Ethan pulled out a Pokeball and summoned Wiggler back inside. "Yep, I haven't had too many battles since the Pokemon League so this should be good."

Jon's eyes grew wide. "You were in the Pokemon League?"

Ethan puffed out his chest. "Yep, so now you'll get a chance to see the kind of competition you'll be facing there!"

Jon pulled out a Pokeball of his own. "Then I'll call forth my first one," he said, calling a Dugtrio to the field. Kate summoned a Pokemon of her own, a Hitmochan. He stoked his chin, noting that they had came prepared to deal with steel in a big way. If that were the case, he knew he'd need a Pokemon that could help cover for her Magneton. He pulled out another Pokeball and summoned Juan, his Ludicolo to the field.

"Chan, go after the Magneton. It's the biggest threat here, take it out!"

Her Hitmochan spun its fist around before charging straight at the Magneton. Jon's Dugtrio dove under the ground and he could only figure it was going after the Magneton as well. Either they were giving Jasmine a huge amount of respect or they were going after the weakest link but he didn't see much use in ignoring his own. "Juan, how about we take the fight out of both of them."

Juan opened its mouth and let out a beam of icy energy, which it shot ahead of the two Pokemon's paths. A small area of ice appeared on the ground, causing the Hitmochan to slip and almost fall but its focus allowed it to stay on its feet. He could see the small trail of dirt where Dugtrio moved almost unseen but as soon as the beam crossed its path, it stopped the Pokemon right in its tracks. Jon gasped. "Doug!"

"He'll be fine."

Slowed a bit by the ice, the Hitmochan was unable to land a solid hit on the Magneton. Magneton countered with a powerful bolt of electricity. Hitmochan stumbled back from the attack before falling to one knee. "Ahh, it's been paralyzed! Let me heal it first before-"

"Hey Juan, think you can distract it for a bit? I'm sure Magneton would love the oppurtunity to get another attack off!"

Juan began to jump and dance around. It usually had a pair of maracas when it felt like dancing but without any music, it'd might be a bit tough to get him more in the mood. It let out a weird sounding but alluring tune from its throat, a tune that often had the effect of causing other Pokemon to get swept up into the music. Soon, despite the fact it's legs were paralyzed, the Hitmochan began dancing any way it could. It was a bit of an interesting sight with it dancing while on one knee and he began to laugh. Jasmine blushed and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Chan, get your head in it! This isn't the time to be dancing around! I guess I'll have to use a Full Heal this time, "Kate said with a sigh. Ethan winked at Juan, who danced its way over to the Hitmochan before turning away. While the Hitmochan was still distracted and Kate was still making her way over, Juan spun around and laid into Chan with a sucker punch. Despite its stubby arms, it laid Chan out in an instant. "Hey, you can't do that! Can you?" She asked, looking at Jon.

"It's legal. Dark Pokemon are fond of using it but I guess other Pokemon can learn it too."

"But-but I don't get it. It's a Grass and Water Pokemon and used a couple of attacks that aren't its type and yet it nearly knocked both of our Pokemon out in one hit!"

Ethan shrugged. "Hey, I did say I was in the Pokemon League."

Jon smiled. "I guess you did say that. I'm guessing there's more to you then meets the eye," he said as he summoned a Pidgeot. Kate summoned her own bird Pokemon, a Fearow. Ethan gritted his teeth. Even with its ice attacks, any attacks from those two birds would cause some damage. Before he could suggest something to Juan, the Pidgeot flew straight at him.

"That's right! Take him out with Drill Peck!" Kate said. Ethan looked up and saw the Fearow dive at Juan, a moment or two after Pidgeot. A tag team attack, that might do the trick.

"Juan, be prepared to-"

"Thunderbolt," Jasmine said. A large bolt of electricity came out of nowhere and zapped the incoming Fearow. It continued to spin to the ground before crashing headfirst into it, looking stunned and dazed. Juan shot another icy beam at the Pidgeot, causing the bird to pull out of its attack and fly up and away from Juan. It didn't get very far as it took a slow descent to the ground, joining Fearow on the ground as well. Ethan smiled, having to remind himself that this was a doubles battle, not a two on one. He flashed a smile at her.

"Thanks for the save."

Jon recalled his Pokemon back. "That's four of our Pokemon down and you two still have your original two out, without taking any damage. Change of plans!"

Kate recalled her own Pokemon back and summoned an Arcanine. "Fang, focus on Magneton for now! We need to start making some ground."

"And I'll take out this Ludicolo," Jon said as he summoned a Heracross. Ethan frowned and looked at Jasmine. She gave him an affirming nod, mainly to just keep doing what they were doing. The Heracross charged at Juan with its large horn in front, a surefire sign about what was coming.

Did they always telegraph their attacks like this? He pulled out another Pokeball and summoned Juan back and brought out his next one, Krunk the Steelix. Jon let out a gasp as Heracross' Megahorn attack hit Krunk's shiny hide and bounced back with almost no effect. As Heracross rolled back from its useless attack, Krunk turned and swatted it aside with its tail, knocking it out with ease. Ethan smiled. "Good to see you're back in shape Krunk."

Jon smiled as he called back his Heracross. "So you did have a steel Pokemon. And you just played it off so we weren't ready for it."

Ethan shrugged. "Something like that. So who's next?"

Juan sighed as he summoned his last Pokemon, a Blastoise. Ethan frowned, wondering if he should keep Krunk out or let Rai get his turn in. He shrugged and called back Krunk. To be replaced by Rai, who seemed to be wincing in pain. "Huh, what's wrong with him?"

"Constipated. He stores too much electrical energy sometimes and he often unleashes-"

Before he could finish, Rai let out a little cry before it unleashed an enormous bolt of electricity from its body. Ethan jumped back as it lit up the entire room. He had only seen this happen a few times and when it did, it always caused him a bit of fright. When the light subsided and they could see again, Blastoise lay sprawled on the ground, the unfortunate target of Rai's little attack. Rai bounced up and down, feeling a lot better now. Too bad they couldn't say the same about the poor Blastoise. Ethan rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. Jon grumbled. "Well I'm out."

"Sorry about that. Sometimes he just has to let loose a bit like that," he said before looking over to see how Jasmine and Kate were doing. Or how they weren't even battling. Jasmine had sat down atop one of the rocks and Kate was busy twiddling her thumbs. "What, don't tell me you two are already finished?"

Kate sighed. "I tried to use both of my last Pokemon to take down her Magneton but it knocked them out before they could do much."

Jon laughed. "Well that battle went as well as I would have liked. I guess you two are really out of our league."

Jasmine stood up. "It's...okay. You did your best."

Jon glanced at Ethan. "And you said you had been in the Pokemon League. I've fought a few other people who were in it but was able to beat them."

Ethan laughed. "Well...okay there's more to it than that. I finished second in the tournament, losing only to the eventual Champion and I have all sixteen badges."

Jon nodded. "When you put it that way, I can see why you defeated nearly all our Pokemon in one shot. Don't think I'll take this loss lying down! I will want a rematch with you. Both of you in fact but especially you."

After they had left, Ethan once again let Wiggler out and looked over at her. "I guess I'm not that experienced in doubles battles. I keep forgetting about working together with my partner and instead just doing my own thing."

She shook her head. "It's okay. I don't do them much either. This is my...first one in some time."

He folded his arms. "I see. I think I need to take a trip out to the Battle Frontier and do a few more of them."

"Your leg is doing fine?"

He shook it a bit. "Eh, I'm fine. I can walk on it fine but I still feel a little weak. They said to take it easy for a couple more days so I guess I can't help you on that investigation until then."

She shook her head. "I...think I still am trying to come to terms with the fact that they tried to kill us."

"I guess you're right. I guess I kinda forgot about it already. I just hope they don't pull it again."

"Maybe with the police also involved, we will have some more help. More eyes looking out for them."

"So then what do we do with this plate I have? If they find out that I have it, they might come after me."

She looked at him and frowned. "I...don't know of a good place to hide it. I wish I did but I only think of people you could leave it with but...it'd be bad to get them involved."

"I'll just keep it with me for now. It'll be safest that way," he said, just as his phone went off. He took it out and answered it. "Hello, this is Ethan."

"Good to see you answer your phone. I have a deal for you," a gruff and mean voice said on the other end. Ethan turned away from Jasmine and frowned.

"A deal? What are you talking about?"

"You have something that belongs to me, a lime green plate to be exact. I want it back of course."

"And why should I give it to you?"

There was a pause at the other end. "Well, it'd be pretty terrible if some...unfortunate accident happened to Crystal. Being way out in the middle of nowhere, people can just...disappear without a trace you know. It-"

"You..."

"So if you don't want anything terrible to happen to her, you'll bring me that plate. I'll be at the Lake of Rage if you need me. Oh and do come alone. If you try to be smart and bring your gym leader friend or someone else, I will renege on my promise and it won't be pretty."

He heard a loud roar in the background and the guy laughed. "The Lake of Rage."

"Yes. Don't drag your feet either. Salamence can get cranky if he's kept waiting."

The other end went dead and he felt like crushing his own phone with his bare hand. So now they were really going to start playing dirty. While they were nasty, he didn't remember Team Rocket ever being this ruthless or cruel. He looked over at Jasmine and laughed. "Ahh sorry about that but...I have to be going somewhere real quick."

"Who was that? You...sounded pretty angry there."

He laughed. "Angry? Haha, I was just faking it."

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. Trust me. I'll be back soon enough. It's just a quick errand I have to run!"

A quick errand that would end with a knocked out Salamence if he could manage.


	5. Can anyone stop Salamence?

A light rain fell over the lake that afternoon, though to him it seemed as if the entire area was stuck under an eternal thunderstorm. It was here where he had first encountered the infamous red Gyrados, caused by the strange radio signals back in Mahogany. It had defeated quite a few other trainers but thanks to Rai and Wiggler, he had calmed it down enough to stop its rampage. Having defeated it, he had the chance to capture it for his own team but opted to let it stay in the Lake of Rage as a protector. Even so, whenever he was around, the Gyrados would acknowledge his presence as a form of respect. It was there where he had met Lance, the Champion at the time. Lance himself could be a pretty intimidating person. Along with his dragons, he gave off the impression of being a very harsh and mean guy but he had actually been pretty cool once you got to know him. All he knew for sure is that he could use Lance's help now.

He stood on the southern edge of the lake and dialed the number of the man. "Hello?"

"Hey, I'm here at the Lake of Rage. Where are you?"

"Did you expect me to just wait out in the open? I'm in the back of the lake, near an old and abandoned boat house."

He hung up and Ethan grumbled. He looked down at Wiggler. "We might have to take down a Salamence so I hope you're ready for a fight. I've never fought one before but I hear they can be mean."

He knew the old boathouse, he had come across it once when he was exploring the area one time. He had to walk through the woods surrounding the lake as the rain had caused the lake to flood a bit, covering the path you could use to get there. As he neared the old wooden building, he could see a light green Salamence standing in front like a loyal guard dog. It noticed him coming and let out a growl. Ethan shook his head as he approached the boat house and the older man he and Crystal had seen in Saffron. He carried a cane for decorate which he used to point at him. "So, did you bring the plate?"

"Where is Crystal?"

He pointed off to the side and Ethan stepped forward to get a better look. Then he could see her, sitting just to the left of the dragon, looking bloodied and scratched up. She looked over at him. "Ethan?"

Ethan shot a glare at the man. "What did you do to her?"

He shrugged. "I didn't do anything to be exact. I just let Salamence take care of things."

"Huh? You must have done something, ambushed her or something. I can't imagine Crystal losing her entire party to this dragon!"

The man shrugged. "Actually, she did. Isn't that right Crystal? Or should I call you Pokemon League Champion Crystal? Whichever is fine with me."

"Just...go away," she said, earning a hearty laugh from the man. He smiled at Ethan.

"If it wasn't true, she would have denied it."

This had to be a joke. It was just one dragon, not even a legendary Pokemon and she lost to it? A powerful ice attack was all she needed, right? "I still don't believe it."

"Oh who cares if you believe it or not. We know why you're here, to hand me over that plate. Don't even think about resisting or giving me a counterfeit or else I'll have Salamence here finish the job, permanently. Would you like to have that on your conscience?"

Ethan shook his head. "You wouldn't."

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd call my bluff? Are you really sure you want to do that?"

"I...will you let her go if I give it over?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug. He looked over at her again before pulling the plate out of his backpack. He glared at the man as he held it out for him to take. The man snatched it from his hands and looked it over. He turned it over a few times to examine it as if there was something he could see that Ethan had missed. He nodded and snapped his fingers. The Salamence walked over to him and Ethan hurried past the two and over to Crystal. He bent down next to her and grasped her by the shoulders.

"Hey, let me get you to a hospital. I can take your Pokemon to a Pokemon Center while they get you patched up."

"Can...can I just sit here for a little?" She asked. He nodded as he pulled out a Pokeball of his own. He turned around to face the man and summoned Aries, his Tauros.

"Aha, I figured you would go down fighting! Just what I like in a trainer!"

"E-Ethan, don't!"

"Don't worry Crystal. I'll take this dragon out with Aries and-"

Before he could finish, the Salamence turned around and slammed Aries with its bulky tail. Ethan's eyes grew wide as Aries flew into some nearby trees, causing them to snap a bit and bend over. It fell to the ground with a whimper and the man laughed. "You should have listened to her. Now Salamence is in a fighting mood. I'll just let him have some fun."

The Salamence turned toward him and Crystal before opening its mouth. Smoke began to pour out and he began to fumble for another Pokeball. He thought about bringing out Krunk but if Salamence unleashed a fire attack on them, Krunk wouldn't hold up for long before he and Crystal were overwhelmed. He pulled back its head before it unleashed a powerful blast of fire. All he saw was a wall of fire but just before it overwhelmed them, a powerful stream of water came out of nowhere and snuffed out the blast. He turned, expecting to see the Gyrados perhaps but instead it was Prinplup. The man stared at the Prinplup and laughed. "So you did bring reinforcements. Ha, you are a bit smarter than I thought. Salamence, we're leaving. We got what I want. Don't worry, you'll get to get some killing in later."

The Salamence growled at the penguin and then at Ethan, who could breathe a bit easier now. It walked back over to the man, who hopped on its back. The two flew up high into the air but Ethan didn't bother watching them leave but looked over at the Prinplup. If he were here, that could mean that its owner was also around. The bushes nearby rustled and Jasmine stepped out. She brushed some branches out of her hair and he gave a nervous laugh. "J-Jasmine, boy am I glad to see you."

"You...were acting weird. I got worried so..."

"It's okay. I appreciate your concern. That's the second time you've saved my life. I guess I owe you big time now."

"Don't worry. Is she okay?"

He put his arm around Crystal. "She'll be fine, I think. I'll just take her to a hospital so they can look over her and all."

Jasmine sighed. "Why did he do this?"

"He was after that plate I had. And he was willing to hurt her to get to it."

"That's...I just can't imagine why. What is with these plates and why are they so valuable that he'd do this?"

He looked at Crystal again and shook his head. "He seems like the type that enjoys roughing people up just for the fun of it."

"Well...I should probably return to Olivine. You...have things under control here."

"Sure and thanks for the save. We might not be alive if it wasn't for you."

Jasmine nodded, looking once more at Crystal before leaving.

"You know, you could have thanked her," he said after Jasmine had left. He had summoned Aries back to its ball, making a note to stop by a Pokemon Center on the way home. Crystal stood up and rubbed her shoulder.

"They're...all gone."

"Huh, what is?"

She looked down at the ground and then at him. "My Pokemon, all of them."

"What did he do with them? Did he steal them?"

"His Salamence smashed all my Pokeballs. It crushed them all with its jaws or its tail. He made me watch him while it did it. It made me sick to my stomach and I wanted to just look away but he forced me to watch."

Ethan looked at the Pokeball holding Aries. How would he have reacted to watching someone smash the Pokeballs that held his beloved team? He couldn't even think about it to be honest. "I'm sorry."

"Some Champion I am, I let some unknown trainer get the drop on me-"

"Hey, hey! I won't be hearing that kind of attitude from you. He had to ambush you and act like a giant coward by having his Pokemon attack you, instead of trying to take on your team instead. Unless you have some kind of special abilities, it could have happened to anyone."

"Those Pokemon had been with me...for like...ever! And with one action, they're all dead. I don't know if I want to go through with it again."

He looked over at Wiggler. "Do you mean, catching another team of Pokemon to raise?"

She nodded. "How can I? It'd be like I were just replacing them."

He put his arm around her shoulder. "Hey, take it from me. I've had to replace a few Pokemon that left my party, remember? Wailord was forced to lead its pack and Vileplume returned to Viridian Forest to protect it. I had to replace them physically but I still remember them and all the fun times we had."

She sniffled. "Was it hard?"

"Oh of course. We had some fun times together, I had caught them both when they were babies. We had grown up together in a way. As far as I was concerned, they'd be a part of my team for good. And then, they were gone. It took me some time to get used to it, it took the rest of my Pokemon some time to get used to it."

"I think I remember that. Your Pokemon seemed so upset about it that you lost to a bunch of trainers you shouldn't have. You seemed like...you were almost forcing a smile. If that were possible for you."

He began to pull away. "Now hold on! If there's one thing I will not force, it's a smile. I don't need to force those at all!"

"You're right. I...just...miss my Pokemon. I don't think I can..even replace them."

So she was back to that again. She walked away from him and down to the lake edge. He followed after her with a sigh. She pulled off her stockings and shoes before resting her feet in the water. Off in the distance, he could see the red Gyrados roaming about. "You know I was thinking about the Pokemon you had."

"W-what about them?"

"Well I was just thinking about the ones you had. Maybe instead of replacing them, get some new ones."

She didn't look up at him. "New ones?"

He nodded. "Yea! I mean you can still use the various types but just pick some new ones. Like you had a Totodile for a water Pokemon so perhaps this time...you could pick...um...Lanturn!"

"Lanturn?"

"Yep. They seem like the kind of Pokemon that would suit you. And you had Victreebell for a grass Pokemon so maybe...use Leafeon this time. Actually I kind of like Leafeon but I already have Juan to cover for that type so it'd be kind of useless to have two grass Pokemon. Oh and you had Magmar as your fire type so how about going with-"

"Ethan, thanks but I don't think I'm ready just yet to pick out a new team."

"You're right, we need to get you to a hospital, just to be safe. You're still bleeding and hurt."

He held out his hand toward her and she didn't look at him at first but soon turned to grab his hand and he helped pull her up. "Could you do me a favor and just take me back home."

"H-home but-"

"I know I'm still hurt but I'd like to go home first. Could you do that?"

"Well...okay. I can do that," he said. He took out the Pokeball holding his Fearow and summoned it. Wiggler let out a squeak and he laughed. "All right, you can get back in the Pokeball. I know how you hate flying."

"He does?"

"He's hated it ever since he tried to ride with me once on Fearow and fell off. He was able to float to the ground safely but he's hate flying ever since that accident."

A few days, he and Wiggler went back out to his grandparents day care center. He still felt a bit weak but just one more day and he could be back to the investigation. "Well Wiggler, seems like it's going to be an easy day today. We just have to deliver some Pokemon to some trainers. I don't think I'll be able to use my bike today so we may have to do some flying."

That earned an angry squeak from Wiggler and he laughed. "Sorry but I'm still a bit weak from that attack. It won't be for another day until I'm back to normal. I know how much you hate it but it's what we have to do."

They neared the day care center and he could see his grandma waiting outside. He waved at her as he ran up. "Hey grandma! Out for your morning walk again?"

"Oh Ethan, there you are! How is Crystal?"

He shrugged. "Oh she's good! She's doing better that is. It looked bad but she wasn't hurt badly."

"Oh that's good. When I heard she had been attacked by a Salamence, I feared the worse. They can be very vicious Pokemon, especially if they have a trainer who encourages that behavior. And I'm so glad you were able to rescue her."

"Well I tried to rescue her but the gym leader from Olivine stepped in to save us after the Salamence knocked out my strongest Pokemon. I'll be ready for him next time, that's for sure."

She smiled and walked over to him. "True true but you stepped in and risked your life to save hers. That counts for something. And she lost all of her Pokemon?"

He folded his arms. "Yea, that's right. She really took that hard. I think it's going to be a bit more before she can think about catching some new Pokemon."

She leaned against the side of the building. "Why don't you take her out and catch some Pokemon?"

"H-h-huh?"

She laughed and pointed a finger at him. "You heard me. Take her out to catch some new Pokemon. You've always been more of a collector than her, you could suggest to her some new Pokemon she could use."

Time to change the subject. "So...what Pokemon did you need me to deliver today?"

"Ethan, stop changing the subject!"

"I only changed it once! I appreciate your concern, again but I'm fine. I'm not that hopeless when it comes to girls you know."

She smiled. "If you aren't, do you have a girlfriend? If you already do, then I'll leave it alone."

Wiggler let out an amused squeak and he shot a glare at it. "Well...ahh...not yet."

"Meaning no."

He shook his head. "Hey, I didn't say that! I just said not yet."

"Either you do or you don't Ethan. Which is it?"

He stared at the sky. "Can we just discuss this another time, please?"

"Well...Ethan all I'm just saying is-"

"What are you two arguing about?" Crystal said from behind. Ethan spun around to see her walking up, dressed again in the same young looking outfit her mom had made. She noticed his glance and blushed just a tad. "She had multiples."

"Sadly?"

She nodded. "Yes, sadly. That aside, what's going on? I haven't seen you two in such a heated argument...like ever."

"Oh it's nothing. Nothing at all."

"I was just suggesting to Ethan that he should help you out with collecting some new Pokemon."

"New Pokemon, huh?" She said before looking off in the distance. He frowned as it seemed she still needed some time to recover. "I guess you're right. I may need some help."

His grandma laughed. "See, what did I tell you Ethan? Besides that, I need you to take these Pokemon to a young man on Route 38. He called last night asking if he could pick them up and I told him that you could bring them to him this morning."

She handed him three Pokeballs and he took them. "What's his name?"

She frowned and snapped her fingers. "You know, I've gone and forgot it. Let me go inside and get that for you."

She went inside but he had a feeling that this routine little trip would take longer than necessary. Crystal cleared her throat and he looked at her. "You know, I was thinking a little about what you said. About picking another team."

"Oh, so you've given it some thought now?"

She nodded. "A...little to be honest. I was never much of a capturer. I had always been mainly interested in finding the Pokemon I thought would work well for my team and just going from there but you know a bit more about different Pokemon in general...sooo...I was thinking that you could help me out sometime?"

He laughed. "With making a new team of Pokemon? I can help you out sometime. I can't right now since I have to do this errand for my grandma."

She mentioned something else but said it in such a low tone, that he raised an eyebrow, hoping for a repeat. "Oh, nothing. Forget I said it."

"I didn't even hear what you said."

"Oh, I was just wondering about you and Jasmine."

He shrugged. "Well...we're friends. That's about the gist of it."

She began to open her mouth to speak again but the door to the daycare center opened and his grandma walked out again. "He goes by the name of Chad. He said he usually hangs out close to the edge of the MooMoo Farm."

Ethan smiled. "I think I've met him before. He wanted a battle and I gave him one-"

"I hope you won that," Crystal said. He laughed.

"Of course I did! I don't really lose to trainers, just Gym leaders."

"And me," she said with a smile, the first one he had seen from her in some time. That was still a low blow.

"Oh good, I'm glad to see you are doing a bit better. There's that fire you had been missing."

He pulled out the Pokeball to summon Fearow. "Well I better get going then. Don't want to keep our customer waiting."

Crystal laughed. "Well I better get going then. I need to go talk with some of the people in charge of the Pokemon League-" she began to say but his grandma pulled her back and began to speak to her in a low tone. He ignored them and looked down at Wiggler, who seemed eager to go back in the ball once he knew what was up.

He summoned Wiggler back to the safety of its Pokeball and brought Fearow out. His grandma and Crystal were still talking. Part of him thought he should wait but another pat of him thought it'd be better to leave. Considering how silly she had become with her matchmaking, perhaps it was best he left before another crazy idea came out. He hopped onto his Fearow and patted him on the side. "All right, we're only going to be-"

"Ethan, could you take Crystal along with you?"

Drat. "I'm just making a quick trip over there. Shouldn't take me more than ten minutes-"

"Then perhaps you can help her catch some new Pokemon after that, right Crystal?"

"Umm...yes. So if that works for you Ethan, perhaps we could go catch some Pokemon after you're done with your little errand. Since you're pretty good at catching Pokemon, it shouldn't take long, right?"

Her words seemed a bit forced and he could see his grandma had put her up to it but he was done with arguing with her. Perhaps if he appeased her, just a tad, she would cool off with this matchmaking. "Yea, that's fine."

"See Crystal? You only had to ask."

Like he said, the trip to Route 38 took a few minutes at most. Thanks to Fearow's size, he had to land near the entrance to Ecruteak City. He hopped down before helping her down. She slid off and patted Fearow's back. "Flying on him reminded me how much I used to fly on the back of my Aerodactyl. I loved the feeling of the air pushing around me and being up amongst the clouds-"

"A rock Pokemon? That sounds like a rough ride."

She laughed. "It wasn't the softest ride, that's for sure. He was always more for doing daring stunts in the air or flying faster than anything else in the air. He would often scare off the other Pokemon in the air because he looked so fearsome."

She said it with a sigh and he nodded. "Well if you need any advice on fliers, I'm your man. Aerodactyl was a fossil Pokemon, right?"

"Yea. I forgot where I discovered it. I was always a bit fascinated with those kind of Pokemon."

"If so, I think I may have a fossil Pokemon you might like. It looks kind of like a pseudo flower and it's called Lileep. It's a Rock and Grass Pokemon, I think there's information on it in my Pokedex," he said as he pulled it out. He handed it to her while he summoned Fearow back to its Pokeball and let out Wiggler.

"Lileep huh? I've heard about it but I don't think I've seen it before. Where did you find it?"

"Cliff Cave. Juan was smashing up some rocks for fun and that's when we came across some of them."

They walked along the short route and he could hear her fawn over some of the Pokemon in his Pokedex. He looked over at her but she didn't look up. "Wow, I didn't know that you had captured all of these Pokemon already. There are many I hadn't seen before."

"Any you like?"

"Well...there are a few I think. I'm still not sure. I think you'll still have to give me some suggestions. I mean the Pokedex tells me a bit about them but what about their temperament or behavior? It can't tell you everything so if you know anything, let me know."

He began to laugh. "Sure thing."

"What's so funny?" She asked, looking up from the small computer.

He put his hands behind his head. "Well, it's just kind of funny you coming to me for advice."

"Huh? Just because I'm the Champion, doesn't mean I magically know everything there is to know about Pokemon."

He tilted his head to the side. "Well I guess you have a point. It's just you were always the one who had all the books on Pokemon, who watched all the shows about them and...and...what happened to all of that knowledge? Did it just float out of your head and go poof?"

She laughed. "Go poof? Come on Ethan. You know what happe-or I guess you don't. I think I just got so caught up in battling and such that I...kind of forgot quite a bit of it."

"That was a lot of information to just forget."

She shrugged and looked up at the sky. "Well I did."

He folded his arms. "So then do you regret becoming the Champion?"

She looked at him and smiled. "I think I do."

He stopped in his tracks. She looked back at him. "You...regret it? That's crazy. Who would regret becoming the Champion?"

"I don't think it was bad! I just think, I became too narrow minded in my focus to become the Champion. If the knowledge didn't benefit me in battling, I just...ignored it. And then the feeling that being the Champion means having a giant target on my back."

"Ahh, you mean like all those trainers gunning for your title-"

"I mean like being the target of attacks like that guy and his Salamence."

He shook his head. "You weren't attacked because you were the Champion! Well I guess...it kind of took care of two stones but he attacked you mainly because he knew I was your friend and I'd rush out to rescue you. Or give up some item he wanted just to ensure you safety. That's why you were attacked."

"So then if I weren't your friend, he would have left me alone?"

"I...don't know really. What are you saying you don't want to be my friend now?"

She looked at him with her mouth open. "W-w-what? I didn't mean that. I was thinking it might have not mattered if I were your friend or not. If he had to deal with the strongest trainers in the region so his scheme could go on without any hiccups, I'm a target anyways. Besides, you saved my life!"

"Well...kind of-"

She shot a glare at him. "Okay so Jasmine stepped in but that doesn't change the fact you hurried over here and was willing to give up an item to him so I could be free. You just got a bit carried away and tried to attack him after that."

"I wasn't sure if he'd let us go or if he'd attack us when my back was turned. And...yea, I tried to be sneaky and get that item back. It was kind of my fault that he attacked us."

They found the kid, standing in the area where he said he would be. As they approached, he noticed Alan trying in earnest to train his Pokemon, a Mr. Mime to be exact. He would a Pokemon doll toward Mime and then point at it. His Pokemon just scratched his head and the boy let out a sigh. "What...is he doing?"

"Looks like he's trying to train his Pokemon to learn Subsitute," she said.

"Mr Mime learns that naturally though."

"Maybe he forgot it or something."

Ethan walked up to the kid and cleared his throat. The boy looked at him. "Huh?"

"You're Alan, right?"

"Yep, that's me! Could you wait just a little? I'm kind of busy here," he said. He turned his attention back to the doll. "Come on Mimico? Don't you remember the move you did where you made a doll like this?"

Ethan laughed and Alan shot a glare at him. "Why waste your time here when you could go over to Blackthorne and just have them teach it again."

He shook his head. "He just knew how to do it earlier today and all of a sudden, he can't remember it! I don't want to waste a Heart Scale if he's only going to remember the move an hour or two later!"

Ethan frowned. "Well that's the first time I've heard of something like that. What about you?"

Crystal pursed her lips as if deep in thought but she shook her head too. "Not at all. I just know of Pokemon forgetting a move because they had to learn a new one. I haven't heard of a case where they just forget it for no reason."

Alan threw up his arms. "Well it happened here! I just can't figure out why."

Ethan stepped back and pulled out a Pokeball of his own. "Perhaps he needs just a little hit on the head."

"A hit on the head?"

"Just a small one. It might knock a little sense into him."

"I don't know man," Alan said. "Do you think your Pokemon can do anything?"

Wiggler let out an angry squeak. Ethan laughed. "Are you saying my Pokemon are weak now?"

Alan held out his hand toward Wiggler. "Well you have a Wigglytuff, they don't get very strong so I don't see how it could help me."

Crystal gave a nervous laugh. "I think you're underestimating that Wigglytuff."

Wiggler let out a few more angry squeaks and Ethan laughed. He put his hand atop Wiggler's head. "Well, Wiggler thinks he can help clear Mimico's head."

Alan shrugged. "If you think it'll do any good."

He stepped back while Wiggler walked up to Mimico. It spun its tiny little arm around in a circle a few times before lunging forward and smacking Mimico right in the face with its face. The blow knocked Mimico right on its back, in a total daze. Alan hurried over to it and picked it up off the ground. "Hey, what was that for?"

Ethan glanced off to the side where he could see another Mimico standing nearby. The one Alad held, vanished into thin air and he looked at Ethan in amazement. "W-w-wow! He actually remembered how to do it! That's amazing! You were right...I just didn't expect that puny-"

"Puny?" Ethan said, raising an eyebrow. "That puny Wigglytuff nearly took your Pokemon's head off!"

Crystal held out her hand in front of Ethan, even though he had no interest in approaching the kid. "We're just here to just drop off some Pokemon you had at the Day Care Center."

"Ohh yea, why didn't you guys say so sooner? I was about to call and ask when they were going to show up."

Ethan pulled out the three Pokeballs his grandma had given him and handed them to the boy. He took them and smiled. "This is great! I had been waiting for a week for them. Now they should be ready to beat anything!"

"Well...I'm not sure that would be the best idea," Crystal said. Alan laughed. She frowned at him and flashed him a stern look. "I'm serious."

"What do you mean? They're stronger than before!"

"I know that but...while they may be stronger per se, they would be much stronger if you didn't take the easy way out and actually trained them."

"Huh?"

She folded her arms and looked at Ethan, as if hoping he'd help but he shrugged and shoved the floor back to her. "Well okay...it's like this. You know how your Pokemon get experience by battling other Pokemon? Well...how are they learning how to battle other Pokemon when they're sitting in the day care center?"

"Now hold on. Now you're trying to suggest for people not to use the day care center!" Ethan said. She laughed and waved him off.

"The Day Care Center is a good place. It might not be best for raising your Pokemon but it's still a fine service if you need them to just look after your Pokemon for a little. If you want to train your Pokemon to battle, you'll have to do that yourself."

Alan looked down at his Pokeballs. "Wait, why should I believe you though? You're just a kid."

"J-j-just a what?" She said.

"I mean, look at you. What you say sounds pretty good but it's hard to take you a bit seriously."

Ethan laughed. "Trust me, you can believe her, despite the outfit. Why don't you go try them out and see how it goes?"

He nodded. "I will! Could I challenge one of you guys then?"

"I...don't really have any Pokemon."

"You don't have any? Then how come you're-"

"And I'm just the delivery boy so I'll pass," Ethan said. To be fair, he might have taken him on but he had the feeling it'd be a waste of time. And he kept insulting Crystal too.

"Well...okay. Later then!"

He ran off and as he did, Ethan could hear her emit a frustrated sigh. "He called me a kid. You've got to be kidding me."

"Well you are dressed-"

"You're right. I'm gonna tell my mom this is the last time I wear this. Ever."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're actually going to stand up to your mom and tell her that?"

Crystal thought about it for a sec, furrowing her brow while she was at it. He gave a smug grin and that caused her to frown. "Well...I will sometime."

He looked down at Wiggler. "So, now what?"

She looked away for a bit before hooking her arm under his. He looked at her, a bit shocked at what had gotten into her. "How about we go catch some Pokemon? I'm tired of walking around without a team to call of my own."

"Oh...well I guess we can go get some then. And then after that, let's go to Saffron City and get something to eat."

"Well...if it involves food, I don't think I can turn it down."


	6. A Girl and her dragon named Puff

"So, what happened to that Dratini you got from the elders?" Ethan asked as she fished in the waters of the Dragon's Den. She looked over at the shrine that lay in the back of the cave and laughed. "Huh?"

"Nothing happened to him. I never received one from the elders. I didn't know they were giving them out."

He folded his arms. "They don't really give them out. He told me that they give them to whoever passes the test the elders give. If you treat your Pokemon with compassion and kindness and can show that to them, then they grant you a Dratini. That's how I got mine."

She looked at him and smiled. "That sounds kind of nice. I wonder if I could pass it?"

"Of course you can-"

"That was rhetorical," she said and he looked away. "Sounds like that'd be easier than fishing for them. How long have we been here?"

He looked down at his watch. "Maybe about an hour. I remember spending a few hours trying to fish one out and didn't have any luck. Only thing I fished out were Magikarp and I really didn't want one of those."

She pulled the line back in before tossing it back out again. "I see what you mean. They really don't feel like biting."

"Perhaps because they don't feel either of you are worthy," a familiar arrogant voice said. He turned to see Claire walk up to them and he worked up his best effort to be polite.

"Hey Claire-"

"What are you two doing here?"

Crystal shrugged. "Fishing for some dragon Pokemon. I've always wanted a dragon Pokemon but they always looked so mean and fearsome that I was turned off by their appearance-"

"Perhaps that was your first mistake. Dragon Pokemon aren't like normal Pokemon. They're mythical creatures, beyond our comprehension. They are loners and won't just accept any normal trainer-"

"Ugh, spare me the speech! Lighten up Claire. You know both me and Crystal are decent trainers. I even passed the elder's test in the shrine. That still doesn't explain why they're not biting."

She put her hands on her hips for a minute and then walked closer to the water, looking down at it. "Heh, that's interesting."

"What is?" Ethan asked. She ignored him and continued to look down at the water.

"All of the Dratini seemed to be swimming down toward the bottom of the lake for some reason. Like there's something down there. I can't tell what though. Kingdra!"

She summoned her powerful Kingdra, who landed in the water and looked at her. She pointed down at the water. "Go see what's down there! The Dratini seemed to be attracted by something!"

Crystal looked at Ethan. "Do you think it's one of those plates?"

"The what?"

Ethan nodded. "It could be. It was never circled on the map but perhaps those areas were circled for a different reason."

"What map?"

Crystal smiled. "Perhaps so. You did say you discovered one of the plates in Ilex and that wasn't circled on the map either. I wonder why they were circled though?"

"Ilex?"

Ethan rubbed his chin. "I don't know. So far I've been to two of those places but I never really got a chance to look around and see what I could find. I was almost drowned at one of them and then at the Lake of Rage, I was too busy concerned about your safety."

"You were what?"

Crystal turned her attention back to the water. "Yea...that's unfortunate. Maybe we'll have to-"

"Would you two both stop talking and tell me what's going on?" Claire yelled. Ethan and Crystal looked at her and laughed. Ethan smiled.

"Well, it's a long story but if you're willing to hear me out, I'll try to explain what's going on."

"I've been hearing stories about some old grouch going around with a powerful Salamence."

"Well I would have gotten to that part but...what have you been hearing?"

Claire folded her arms. "Not much except that he's been terrorizing trainers in Kanto. He'll go through a route and destroy every Pokemon team he comes across. A few officers have gone after him to put a stop to it but his Salamence is just too strong."

Ethan shook his head. "That's..."

"Crazy. I can't imagine someone just doing that. He has to be doing it for either the intimidation factor or something else?" Crystal asked.

Claire shook her head. "Either way, if this keeps up, trainers are going to be scared to go out to catch new Pokemon, battle other trainers or just step outside their homes for any reason. We can't let that happen, at all."

"I don't think it's so easy though Claire. He's already beaten me-"

"I wouldn't really call that a victory," Ethan said.

"And he knocked out Ethan's strongest Pokemon in one attack. I don't think it's so crazy that he beat the police. Only the strongest trainers have a chance against him."

Claire shook her head. "To be honest, if he beat you two, I don't think that means he hasn't-"

"Now wait just a minute," Crystal said but Ethan held out his hand to stop her mid argument.

"Trust me Claire. Not many Pokemon can knock out Aries in one blow. He ambushed Crystal and destroyed her entire team. We can't have this guy taking out every strong trainer."

She brushed back her cape. "Are you trying to tell me to be careful?"

"Sounds like it to me!"

She looked down at the water, just in time for Kingdra to resurface with a light blue plate on the tip of its nose. She took it from Kingdra and looked at it. "What is this? I've never seen it before."

In a moment, a large crowd of Dratini appeared in the lake, staring up at the plate Claire held. "Looks like another one of those plates they're after. Perhaps it's connected to the dragons, which is why they'd all be interested in it," Ethan said. Claire tossed it to him.

"Well I have no interest in it so you two can protect it."

"So then where are you going? I hope not to chase that guy and his Salamence."

Claire brushed back her hair as she summoned Kingdra back. "To meet with some other Gym Leaders and figure out what we'll do. I'm sure Lance and the Elite Four will figure out what to do as well."

"Lance? I thought since he wasn't the Champion anymore-"

"He isn't the Champion anymore."

"And neither am I," Crystal said. Ethan and Wiggler let out some gasps. She nodded at him. "It's true, I forfeited my title. I may have the heart of a Champion but without any Pokemon to use, I didn't think I'd be much help in the battling aspect for awhile so I forfeited the title. So then it just goes to whoever finished second."

"Oh."

"I thought it should have just gone to the Champion before but since Lance had already lost to you in the tournament, they felt it'd be appropriate for the title to go to the next strongest and worthy trainer, Champion Ethan," she said in the driest tone she could.

"Ha, I'm no Champion, even if I did inherit the title. I'll earn it next time."

"You go and try that. In the meantime, you better tell me more about just what is going on."

After they had explained to her everything they knew, she leaned against a nearby rock wall and frowned, as she was wont to do. "Well...that is a bit interesting. I'm surprised the police haven't said much to us gym leaders. We should be some of the first to know."

"Perhaps they're still looking into it. To be fair, we barely know anything about it and we're the ones who have been their targets."

"And you'll keep being their targets so long as you keep finding those plates. That makes me wonder..."

"Wonder...about what?" Ethan asked. Claire stood up straight and folded her arms. "I'm just thinking, what if they notice that you guys keep finding those plates?"

He laughed. "I think they might have noticed already."

She shook her head. "I don't think you get what I mean. I'm saying what if they notice you have an uncanny ability to come across these plates. They might just let you keep doing what you're doing and then just either snatch the plates away or bargain somehow."

Crystal made a fist at the mention of bargain. "Bargain, huh?"

Ethan shook his head. "So...you're saying they could just use me to further their plans, even though I'm collecting them to keep them away from them?"

"Pretty much. I mean, why didn't you just turn it in to the police when you first got it? Instead you kept it with you which is probably a lot more dangerous than just letting the police take it."

"Shouldn't it have been pretty safe with him regardless? I mean if you need someone to guard something, you'd prefer it be one of the stronger trainers in the region."

Claire bristled at that and let out a sigh. "While that may be so, it'd still be better if it were under the guard of the police. Out of sight and out of mind."

He looked down at the plate and his reflection in it. "So...try to work a bit more with the police."

She shrugged. "Why not? They're the police. They probably have a better idea of how to deal with these criminals than you do. If they already tried to kill you twice, that means they're far more dangerous than those Team Rocket clowns of old."

He nodded. "I see what you mean-"

"Meanwhile, I'm going to track down Lance and ask him what he thinks. Maybe he's even run into some of these clowns and is getting information out of them."

Ethan set down the plate. "Oh yea and how is Lance doing? I hardly see him now since he isn't the Champion anymore."

"That's because he's in training so he can become the Champion again. He often comes here to train in the evening. I'm sure if you decided to wait around, you could see him. Or perhaps give him a little training lesson."

"I'm sure you'd love to get a rematch too. Our last battle was pretty intense-"

"You mean how you left Crystal hanging after Lance knocked out your last Pokemon?" She asked with a cruel smile. He smiled back at her.

"You were lucky I had chosen the three Pokemon I did! I left both Aries and Wiggler out. The fight would have gone much better for us if I had used them."

Claire tossed aside her cape. "Sounds like an excuse to me. You knew you were facing both the Pokemon Champion and the best trainer in Johto. You should have used the strongest Pokemon you had, instead of being cute and using some other Pokemon."

Crystal got to her feet. "Regardless, I still had to take on both you and Lance and managed to beat the two of you."

Claire frowned, as she liked to do before turning away. "Either way, I need to be going. I was going to do some training but since you two are here, I'll just wait."

"Wait? You can train here. We won't bother you at all! We're just here to catch a Dratini and we'll be on our way," Ethan said. "You can even train in another part of the-"

"I don't want the rest of the dragon Pokemon being distracted by a couple of trainers trying to fish. When I'm training here, I want all their focus on trying to take down my own Pokemon. Only then can my team gain the training it needs. This isn't just some normal cave where Pokemon roam."

Ethan laughed. "Okay, okay. I was just saying we wouldn't disturb you. Or at least try to."

She left without another word and Crystal sighed as she did. "I really wish I knew what her deal was. She just acts like she has a massive chip on her shoulder. And she's so arrogant, even though we both have beaten her and you've done it twice!"

Ethan waved it off. "Oh that's Claire for you. She's always so sure of herself that she comes off as arrogant. I think it's just how she is. She's the toughest gym leader in Johto and she's pretty proud of that fact. She probably has a nice side, I just don't get to see it."

She laughed. "You probably got on her bad side by trying to get a date."

Wigger let out a squeak and he shrugged. "Well...I didn't expert her to get angry at me. I didn't know if she'd turn me down or not but to yell at me and chase me out of the cave...I didn't expect that!"

Crystal turned her attention back to the water. "Well I wish she'd cool it. She's acting like we're the criminals here! All we want to do is catch us a Dratini!"

He laughed and sat down atop a nearby rock. "Just don't let it bug you. Claire is Claire. Getting angry at her will only reinforce her belief that you aren't as good as you say you are. At least, that's what Lance told me. To just not let her get to you. Her respect is hard to earn."

He looked down at the plate again and noticed while many of the dragon Pokemon had wandered off, one Dratini hung around. It was much smaller than the other Dratini and had a a light red hide instead of a blue one like the regular ones. It's gaze remained fixated on the plate he held. When he moved it to his right, the Dratini followed it and when he moved it back to the other side, the little dragon continued to kept its gaze focused on the plate. Crystal pulled the line out of the water and pulled out a Net Ball. "Perfect. Keep it distracted while I capture it!"

Easier done than said. He didn't even have to do anything but keep holding the plate. The Dratini never took its eyes off it, even as Crystal tossed the ball forward to capture it. It landed on the water and shook a few times before clicking shut. Crystal smiled as she fished it out. "Too easy."

"I'll say. They're usually much tougher to catch than that but he just came right along."

"What are you going to name him?"

She held the Net Ball in both hands, staring down at it as if entranced. "I can't think of one. Do you have a suggestion?"

He shook his head. "Nothing comes to mind. Or wait...I think I have a name you could use for it. Puff."

"Puff, really? Puff? Where in the world did that come from?"

"I think I remember it from some song or something. It just came to mind when I looked at it. Maybee if you read some kids books about fantasy, they might have a cool name for a dragon there."

"Nothing fearsome though. The Dratini line has to be the kindest looking line of dragons around, especially compared to some of the others like Bagon, Gible-"

"Don't forget Altaria. That's a dragon Pokemon and it looks real gentle. It looks like a giant cloud, how gentle is that?"

She nodded. "You're right, there are others. I guess Dratini are the ones you think of first when you want a gentle looking dragon. Well that's one Pokemon down, why don't we capture one more and then go eat?"

He took off his backpack and put the plate inside. "Well what's another Pokemon you'd like?"

"I think I would like a water Pokemon. I just don't know of one-"

"What about Staryu? They aren't fearsome looking water Pokemon but that doesn't mean they're weak at all."

She nodded. "That would work. Are they pretty easy to find? I know they like to sit at the bottom of the sea and don't like to come up to the surface until night."

He smiled. "They do but you can also run across them in the daytime by Route 47. I guess there are bridges and cliffs that provide shade to the water, causing them to feel comfortable with surfacing in the day."

"Wow, I didn't even know that. How do you know about this?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, I often spend times at the Safari Zone, tinkering with it and trying to catch Pokemon that usually don't appear in these regions and I have to pass through that route. So I often see them in the shadows of the bridges or the cliffs, just chilling in the water. Sometimes you may even see a Starmie amongst all the Staryu but that's pretty rare."

She folded her arms. "Yea, since they evolve by a stone, I wouldn't expect to see many in the wild. Well, I guess that's our next stop then!"

It had been some days since his last adventure in Route 47 but he still felt a little bit on the edge. He could look down the bridge and at the waters below, knowing that they would soon rise and cover up the caves down below. It was nice to be above, safe from the water but he could still remember the taste of that salt water and clinging to Jasmine's Prinplup as it dragged him through the water with his legs feeling numb and useless. "I guess I should apologize."

He looked back at Crystal. "Apologize? Apologize for what?"

"Bringing you back here. I realize being here might be a bit tough for you considering what happened here."

He laughed. "Yea, it's a little tough but I think I need to come here anyway. It's the best way to get over my fear of the place."

She folded her arms. "I guess it'll have to be the same way with me and the Lake of Rage, huh?"

He nodded. "Yea, I think you're right. It'll be tough I'm sure but-"

"Hey, trainers! Wait up!"

Ethan and Crystal turned around in time to see Jon running up. He bent over to catch his breath. "Oh hey, Jon! Where's Kate?"

"Oh...she's hanging out in Cianwood. Her Pokemon weren't feeling too well so she decided to stay behind. I was only going to check out the Safari Zone and then go back," he said with a smile. He noticed Crystal and laughed. "Haha, you got two girls now."

"Huh, what?"

Ethan laughed and waved him off. "Huh? Oh nothing like that is going on. They're both my friends."

Jon laughed. "Oh okay, so that's how it is. I just thought you guys were on a date or something."

"I'm helping her catch some new Pokemon. We were looking for some Staryu and I remembered that they could be found here any time of the day, as opposed to everywhere else where they only appear at night."

Jon laughed. "Why what happened to your other Pokemon?"

"It's a bit of a long story but they're gone thanks to some goon so I have to start training a new team."

"Speaking of goons, have you two heard anything about this one guy going around? They say he has one Pokemon with him, a Salamence and he walks through routes and destroys every team he can find. I haven't run into him yet but that gets my blood boiling. I mean I can understand wanting to take on everyone and become the best trainer but just doing it to be mean? That's just wrong."

"Yea, I get what you mean. He doesn't seem to even care if the trainers or the Pokemon are really hurt, he'll trample them over all the same."

Jon grumbled. "I think it'd just be nice if me and Kate could teach him a lesson or two. Let him know that he just can't intimidate trainers like that."

"To be honest, I think you'd be better off just leaving him alone. He's totally bad news and if anyone should be dealing with him, it'd either be the police, the gym leaders or the Elite Four," she said. He looked at her and frowned.

"But aren't you the Champion? Shouldn't you be dealing with him too?"

She sighed. "I'm no longer the Champion since he destroyed my entire team. That's why I'm catching some new Pokemon, to replace the ones he did in."

His mouth fell open. "He...he did what?"

"He smashed every one of my Pokeballs, while they still had Pokemon inside. He ambushed me and didn't allow me a chance to defend myself. I forfeited my title because it's hard to defend it when you have a team of young and inexperienced Pokemon now."

"And what about you Ethan?"

Ethan laughed. "He knocked out my strongest Pokemon with one blow but I'll deal with him eventually. I'm sure I can take him down if need be. I won't let him to continue his reign of terror."

"Well let me have a piece of him once you're done beating him! Sorry but I got to be going. I still have the Safari Zone to tour. Have a good day!" he said as he ran off. Ethan watched him leave before hearing Crystal clear her throat. He looked at her and noticed she had her eyes closed and her arms folded.

"What was he talking about with the two girls thing?"

"Oh, I first met him and Kate while I was hanging out at Jasmine's Gym. She invited me there to watch some of her matches and we decided to do an unofficial doubles battle. It was pretty fun, even though me and Jasmine won with ease."

"Ohh...I see."

"I don't know why he thought we were on a date. Two people can't go hunting for Pokemon together or something?"

She smiled. "Well they can...I just...asked you out this time."

"You did? I hope my grandma didn't put you up to this. She's been a bit pushy about this kind of thing and I was hoping she'd cool it."

Crystal laughed. "Well, she did put me up to it but she didn't force me to ask you out. I just chose to."

"Oh...well I guess that means she'll be happy for now, right? I mean if this means she will stop doing it, I'll feel a lot better. I'd hate for you to get dragged into something against your will."

"Except I wanted to ask you out," she said under her breath. He looked over at her.

"Huh, did you say something?"

She shook her head. "Nothing! Let's just go hunt us some Staryu. We don't want to waste too much time, right?"

He gave a nervous laugh and nodded. "Yea, you're right."

She walked on ahead a bit and he looked down at Wiggler, who let out another squeak. "Yea, yea. I heard what she muttered."

It let out another few squeaks and he shrugged. "What am I going to do? What am I supposed to do?"

It held up both arms and let out yet some more squeaks. He frowned at the sound of those. "Turn her down? I can't do that! You're terrible. And what about Jasmine?"

Wiggler let out a few amused squeaks. "Stop laughing! Man, I kind of wish some of that guy would show up. Battles are more of my style anyways."

"Ethan, what are you and Wiggler talking about? If you're making fun of my outfit again-"

"What? Nothing like that! He just likes talking nonsense."

He sat down under a large pine tree near the water as Crystal stared down a single Staryu, floating by itself and in the direct sunlight. It was a bit of an unusual sight for sure. He had always known Staryu to avoid the sunlight but this one sure seemed to like it. She had Puff out of its ball but seemed unsure of what move to use. "Okay Puff, show me what you got-"

"I doubt he knows much to be honest. Perhaps wrap or twister but not much else."

"I know young Dratini might know Thunder Wave."

She snapped her fingers. "That's right. Okay Puff, use thunder wave!"

Puff's nose glowed for a bit as it unleashed small bolts of electricity at the Staryu. It hit the Pokemon but how were they supposed to know it worked? The Staryu had been just floating there. For all they know, it could still be fine. Crystal made a fist. "Good, it worked-"

"How can you tell? It's doing the same thing it was before we disturbed it."

She laughed. "The core of the Staryu. The light in it tends to get dimmer when it's hurt or under some condition liked poisoned, asleep or even paralyzed. You can see right now."

He walked over to the water's edge and looked down at the Pokemon, noticing the red crystalline core, the light inside a bit dim. Even its limbs seem to slump down a bit. He looked up at her and nodded. "Okay I see that but should that be enough to capture it?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to weaken it just to be on the safe side. Okay Puff...umm, attack?"

Ethan laughed as the small Dratini scooted toward the edge of the water. It's bottle top nose glowed but he wasn't sure what that could mean. Perhaps another attack? He shrugged and walked back to the tree he had been relaxing under and closed his eyes. He hadn't gotten very comfortable when he heard Wiggler letting out a bunch of frightened squeaks. He opened one eye. "What is it Wiggler?"

He looked up to see an orange sphere of fire form above Puff's head before it shot high into the sky. It exploded in the air like a firecracker and lots of smaller balls of fire rained down but not at the Staryu but instead toward him and Wiggler. He picked up Wiggler and ran out of the way as the balls crashed down into some of the trees where he had been standing. He stumbled to the ground, dropping Wiggler along the way but he bounced to safety. He turned around and looked at the trees that had been knocked down before looking at Crystal, who tried to stifle a laugh. "I'm sorry Ethan!"

"W-w-what happened? Me and Wiggler were just chilling out and then all of a sudden-"

"That was Draco Meteor, a powerful dragon move. I guess I know what moves it knows now."

He looked at Wiggler, who let out a few angry squeaks. Not that he could blame the guy. "I...don't remember baby Dratini knowing that move."

She laughed. "They don't. I think he must have seen some other Dragon Pokemon use it and just...learned it."

"I...see. I guesss since all the Dragon users like to train there, I can see where he might have seen it used before. I just...why was he aiming it here?"

"He missed. He's young, he probably hasn't used it much."

Wiggler still let out a string of angry squeaks. "Well, sounds like Wiggler didn't like it that Puff missed."

"He'll be careful next time. Okay Puff, use Draco Meteor again but aim for Staryu."

Puff's nose glowed again and summoned another sphere of orange energy. It shot up into the sky before splitting into a bunch of smaller spheres. It rained down toward them again, causing Wiggler to squeak. "Not aga-"

"Okay Puff, use Twister to funnel them all into Staryu!"

Puff turned around and began to spin its tail around, which soon became a pinkish blur. He whistled at the sight of that and looked up to see many of the spheres being drawn toward Puff. It continued to spin its tail, stirring up a small funnel which dragged in all the fiery spheres. Puff stop spinning its tail and the twister and the spheres moved forward. It crossed into the water and collided with the Staryu, with the poor Pokemon getting hit by a sphere every few seconds. This continued until the twister dissipated and all the spheres had hit. The light in its core grew even more dull and Crystal tossed a Net Ball at it. This time it clicked shut at once and she smiled. She picked it up and he let out a sigh. "Wow, that's an interesting way to get it to work. Where did you figure that out?"

She tapped her chin. "Oh...I just figured it out. It came to mind and I decided to see if it'd work. By the looks of it, my idea worked," she said. She knelt next to Puff and rubbed her fingers along its back. "Good job Puff."

It turned a bit red in the face and he laughed. "I think he likes you."

She summoned him back to its ball and folded her arms. "Well, I think we've done enough capturing for today. Thanks for helping me out Ethan. I know you're hungry, right?"

His stomach growled and he nodded. "Yea, I guess I am."

"I know a great place we can visit and then maybe you can drop off that plate with the police. Or at least drop it off with the authorities so they can deal with those goons instead of us."

She crossed over the stream and he motioned Wiggler over. "So what's the place? There are so many restaurants out there that-"

Before he could finish, Wiggler began to let out a flurry of squeaks. Ethan looked over at him and noticed Wiggler pointed toward the dirt trail. "Did he see something, or someone?"

Ethan walked down the path and heard something buzzing overhead. He turned to see a large Beedril come over the top of the trees and he jumped back in surprise. The Beedril pulled back its abdomen before firing off a couple of small needles. He fell to the ground to protect himself but one of the needles hit him in the shin. "Oww, what gives? Did we disturb its hive or something?"

"Not at all. I just needed to make sure you didn't try to escape or something," an unfamiliar voice said. It sounded like a young man and when he turned to look, a young man with short teal hair appeared around the bend. He was dressed in full Team Rocket garb and his eyes grew wide. "My name is M. And I'm here for that plate of yours."


	7. EthanDouble O Seven

"You can't have that plate! Why should we give it to you anyway?" Crystal asked as she summoned Puff back to the field. Ethan looked up at M, who smiled. He didn't seem all that concerned and why should he? The Beedril hovered down between him and Crystal.

"Well I see you have your baby Pokemon out, how cute. Be warned that your boyfriend and his precious Pokemon have both been poisoned. While I'm sure he'll recover, the Pokemon might not if he isn't administered the antidote for this particular venom."

Her mouth fell open and she made a fist with her hand. "You guys are just all coming out of the woodwork now."

Ethan tried to get to his feet but already his leg began to feel weak and numb. Getting up would be too hard. He looked over at Wiggler, who had a light lavender tint to him, having lost his healthy colored skin to the poison already. It let out a few weakened squeaks and he looked away. "I guess. I just want the plate you two have. It's amazing how easy you seem to find them Ethan. If I had more time, I'd just drag you along with me back to headquarters and we'd use your special ability to find the rest."

He pulled the backpack off his back and Ethan turned around to see M open it up. He reached inside and pulled out the plate. He looked it over a few times, even turning it over and laughed. Ethan smiled. "Are you sure that's the real plate?"

"Hmmm?"

Ethan shrugged. "I've already had one plate snatched from me. You think I'd be dumb enough to keep the second one on me? Only for it to get taken away somehow?"

"I've already looked it over, it's the real thing."

"If you're sure, then take it."

M didn't say anything at first but looked it over again. He had looked pretty confident before but maybe not so much now. "Trying to be cute now? The more time you waste, the worse off your Pokemon will be."

Ethan frowned. That was true but he would take the bet that Wiggler could last a little longer. "Wiggler will be fine. Wigglytuff are renowned for having sky high endurance."

"We'll see about that."

Ethan pulled out a Pokeball but kept it concealed from M. "Well if you're going to wait, you better check that plate to make sure it's authentic."

"I had been following you two. You both had mentioned taking the plate to the police and letting them take care of it."

"And after talking with Claire, I realized that you guys might try following me since you figure I seem to have the incredible luck of coming across these plates. Why bother looking when someone else just happens to come across them all the time? You're just better off following me anyway and then just snatching it away once I get it. I began to realize that and-"

"You really took time out of your little date to make an authentic fake? I'm not sure Crystal would have liked that."

Ethan looked at her and laughed. "Ditto can make do. Are you able to tell the difference between a Pokemon and a Ditto imitating it?"

"A...Ditto?" M asked. He looked down at the plate again, in time for Ethan to turn around and summon Juan. M jumped back as Juan summoned a bunch of leaves from the nearby trees, ready for an attack. "Beedril!"

The large bee hovered over to M but not before Juan launched an attack on both of them. Beedril shielded M from the attack but took quite a bit of damage, causing its wings to beat a little slower. M laughed as Beedril withstood the attack. While they were occupied, he crawled over to Wiggler and gave him an antidote of his own. It appeared to work as Wiggler's skin lightened up and he hopped to its feet. He wished he could do the same but for now he would live. Wiggler put its arms up to its head, causing a light blue aura to form around its body before it fired off a beam of similar colored energy at Beedril, still busy fending off Juan's attack.

While Beedril could fend off an attack weak against it, dealing with a psychic attack was a bit much to handle. It held on at first but soon slumped to the ground, causing M to duck the incoming leaves headed his way. He got to his feet. "I see how it is."

"So what are you going to do about it? I have you at my mercy, all for a fake plate."

M shook his head. "If this plate is fake, why are you fighting so hard for it?"

Ethan laughed. "Who said I was fighting to get it back? I can't defend myself?"

M looked at the plate and shrugged. "Either way, I lost nothing by taking it. If it's fake, then I can just toss it," he said as he summoned an Alakazam. "Teleport us away!"

In a flash, M and his two Pokemon vanished into thin air, causing Ethan to pound the ground with his fist. "Sorry guys, I was hoping he'd give it up."

"Ethan!"

He turned to see Crystal hurry over. "Oh hey-"

"What were you doing? I mean, did you just have this plan ready to go-"

"Well, I actually made it up as I went. All of it," he said with a smile. "I thought they might not be prepared for me to do something like that so I did it."

Her mouth fell open. "W-w-without letting me know?"

"That would ruin the surprise! Where's the fun in that?"

She folded her arms and looked down at the ground. "So...what about Wiggler? Were you willing to-"

"Oh he's been stung by a Beedril before. He was just hamming it up to make it seem like he was in real pain."

"And you had me all worried! I thought you were in trouble and now to find out..."

He looked at her flustered face and gave a nervous laugh. "S-sorry Crystal! I just didn't want them to make off with another plate for free so I tried to get it back somehow. I guess it didn't work out too well."

She opened her mouth to speak again but decided against it. She folded her arms and looked away. Usually when she began to tap her foot, it meant she was about to go off on some tirade. Usually she saved those for people she didn't care for like Silver, Team Rocket or just some random trainer. This would be the first time where he was on the receiving end. She let out a sigh. "I...just...maybe clue me in next time you want to try one of these ploys? It might help out if I'm in on it. Or...something."

"Well, okay. I guess I can do that."

She helped him to his feet. "Come on, let's get something to take care of that sting."

A bit later on, they arrived at the Silph Grille, one of the larger restaurants in Saffron. It sat across the street from the Saffron building, its large neon sign drawing some of the other buildings next to it. They sat in one of the booths near the front where he could let Wiggler sit in the windowsill and look out the window. The dark red cushions for the booth felt as soft as pillows and he leaned back in the corner and sighed. "This is so comfortable, I could fall asleep on them."

She rested her hands on the table and took her hat off. "Well don't fall asleep before they bring the food out."

He smiled. "Ha, no chance of that happening! I would never miss lunch!"

She took a deep breath. "Smells so much like your regular greasy spoon."

"Greasy spoon? Why would you smell a greasy spoon-"

"Ethan, it's just another name for a local diner, ones known for serving your standard diner grub like burgers, steaks and all that."

He nodded. "Oh, okay. I just...hadn't heard that term before. It makes a bit of sense now!"

He sat up as the waiter stopped by. He smiled at Crystal. "Ahhh, the Pokemon Champion. It is an honor to meet you," he said with a slight bow. She blushed and looked at him real quick. "Have you two decided what to order or would you just go with the drinks for now?"

"Umm...ahhh just water for me," she said. Ethan shrugged.

"Give me a root beer. The strongest one you have in fact!"

The waiter nodded and hurried off. Crystal leveled her eyes at him. "The strongest one you have?"

He pointed at his throat. "I love it when it leaves a burning sensation down my throat. It pumps me and I feel ready to take on anything!" he said, pounding his chest while he was at it. She let out a sigh.

"Are you serious?"

"Ha, of course not! I just like the taste of it."

"I figured. I just had to make sure."

He leaned forward on the table. "You know, I was thinking...maybe the reason why we are losing to these new Team Rocket guys is because we're too predictable."

"Yea, they know we're trying to find the plates too. They also know that you seem to have an uncanny ability to come across them."

He nodded. "So then what if we stop looking for them?"

She shook her head. "And that would allow them to collect them all! I'm not sure we can let that happen."

He laughed. "I don't mean we just let them win. We just would stop collecting the plates for them. Make them work for it a bit harder. In the meantime, we go undercover! We find out what they're up to and try to..."

"Undermine it. That sounds pretty good but we'd have to see another one of them though. Except for that one time, have you seen them around?"

"Other than M or that old guy? Hardly. Only time I've seen Team Rocket was when me and Jasmine were exploring the Cliff Gate caves."

She shrugged. "So...perhaps we could...draw them out? Maybe we can just pretend that we're still looking for the plates. That way they'll try to follow us and then we can nab them!"

"Sounds complicated to be honest. Why not just have your mom make us some Team Rocket uniforms?"

"M-make some Team Rocket uniforms? That sounds kind of good but we still don't know where they're hiding. We'd have to convince them we're Team Rocket members. We just can't put them on and wander around, they'll see right through that, plus we could get arrested."

Ethan tapped his fingers on the counter as his stomach growled. "Well, perhaps we can think about an idea after we get some food, I'm starving."

She shook her head. "You and food."

"Food and Pokemon are my life!"

He finished up the last of his fries but instead of that satisfied full feeling he had been hoping for, it only felt as if scratched the surface. His stomach growled and she looked at him before shaking her head. "After all that, you're still hungry?"

He patted his stomach. "I'm a growing boy. I need all the food I can get. Besides, we got quite a bit of done today. Why didn't you finish your food?"

She shrugged. "I was just thinking about Team Rocket and how we could find them. It's kind of tough trying to find someone who doesn't want to be found."

"Oh, you're still thinking about that? Why not just ask them?"

"What?"

He grabbed his drink. "Well, find someone who was with Team Rocket and ask them. I'm sure they'll know. Team Rocket are a bunch of bullies anyway. I'm sure if we act like them, they'll come around."

She chuckled. "You make it sound so...simple. It might work, maybe. Or they'll see right through us and ignore our efforts."

He sipped from his drink. "Well we would be pretending to be bullies and thieves? What good is pretending to be someone if you act like yourself?"

"Yes but if we do that, it's going to raise eyebrows. And we can't just put on Team Rocket uniforms and do that as well, they'll get suspicious."

He shrugged and looked at Wiggler, who again seemed more interested in looking out the window. He noticed a Hitmochan approach the booth and he pushed his empty plates forward. While the Hitmochan cleared some of the dirty dishes away, he leaned back in the booth and shrugged. "So then what do you suggest?"

She sighed. "I think...I think...I'm not sure actually. Perhaps...they're looking for the plates, right?"

He nodded. "Yea but..."

"Well, they're sending people after us, perhaps shadowing us so they can know if we discover a plate. Then they probably alert their bosses so they can send out a strong trainer to deal with us. I mean, have you directly dealt with anyone who looked like just a regular Team Rocket member?"

He shook his head. "Well no. I mean me and Jasmine encountered some but they didn't even try to take us on in a Pokemon battle. They seemed to know they were out of their league."

She smiled. "Yes, exactly."

"But if they're just shadowing us, I guess we won't be able to use those disguises-"

"We just have to be discreet about it. You're right in that we can't keep looking for those plates. It seems no matter what we do, they'll just snatch them away from us once we get them. I just need a little time to think of a good plan."

She shook her head again and smiled. "You look as if you're enjoying this."

"It's kind of fun. It's been real annoying that they've been able to use us like that. It'd be nice to turn the tables on them for once."

It had been a bit since he had updated Jasmine on the situation, which is where he found himself heading today. In his backpack he carried a couple of the fake Team Rocket uniforms that Crystal's mom had made. Wiggler wore a pair of the trademark white mask they were so fond of wearing and he shook his head. "You really like that mask, don't you?"

Wiggler looked up at him and let out a happy squeak. He bounced up and down like a kid, taking a giant leap over the fence bordering the Olivine city limits and landed in some bushes on the other side. He laughed before reaching over for the mask but Wiggler let out an angry squeak. He pulled his hand back and frowned. "Hey, watch it! If I have to wear that disguise, I'm gonna need that mask."

Wiggler looked up at him with the saddest look it could muster, the kind of look a Growlithe would give you when it wanted mercy. He always hated that look! It usually made him feel guilty for saying anything bad or harsh. Wiggler knew that and would make himself look even more pathetic. Ethan shook his head and looked away. "Nope sorry. You can do that sad look all you want but if I need the mask, I'm taking it. I'll ask Crystal if her mom can make you one."

Wiggler let out an annoyed squeak and he frowned. "What do you mean you don't want a different one? If I need that mask, I'm gonna take it! Like I said, Crystal's mom can make you another one so give it to me!"

Wiggler shook his head and hopped down before he ran back up the path. Ethan made a hopeless grab at him but Wiggler escaped his grasp and kept running. Catching him wasn't too tough. He was quick but he was much quicker and Wigglytuff were never known for their speed. He snatched the mask off Wiggler and held it up. "Ha! Nice try Wiggs but you'll have to be a little smarter to outsmart me."

He began to reach back for his backpack but felt someone cover his eyes, blocking his vision. "H-hey!"

"Guess who?"

He began to answer but heard Wiggler let out a playful squeak. "It's Jasmine, Wiggler?"

He let out another squeak just as she pulled her hands away. He turned to look at her and smiled. "Nice try but-"

"How...do you know what it says? I can't understand what my Pokemon tell me."

He folded his arms and looked down at Wiggler. "I've just been around him so long that I'm used to his squeaks. If you listen real careful, you can realize that it sounds kind of like a real word though it's real tough at times. Professor Elm and Oak thought I might have developed some strange sort of psychic link that allows me to understand whatever it says but...who knows?"

"A...psychic link? I've never heard of that."

He laughed. "Ha, me neither! That's why I found it a bit hard to believe. Even others have noted that it seems real unusual that I can understand Wiggler."

She brushed back her hair. "And...what's with the mask? It reminds me of Team Rocket."

He put it over his face. "That's the idea. I got a whole Team Rocket outfit. You see...I'll have to explain the finer details later but I think we'll have to stop looking for those plates."

"Stop looking for them?"

"Yep. It doesn't help us out to just find them, only to have them ripped out of our hands or something like that. It makes it seem as if we're doing them a huge favor by finding them. Instead we...infiltrate them somehow, with these uniforms."

She folded her arms and nodded. "That...makes a lot of sense. I'm not sure about the infiltrating Team Rocket thing...but it brings to mind some stuff I discovered."

He smiled. "Perhaps we can talk about this somewhere else?"

She held up a finger. "I know just the place."

The place happened to be the basement of her gym, which looked like an actual gym where one could train at. A few large boxing rings sat in one corner of the gym, which included an indoor track area and quite a few punching bags hanging around. "Wow, this is pretty cool! Do all gyms have a basement like this?"

"I don't know. I just know I needed a training area for my team when I can't get out to do some training. It comes in handy and they all love it."

He walked up to one of the punching bags. "This is pretty cool but a punching bag? Wouldn't they just knock it down with one hit?" He asked as he prepared to throw a punch.

"E-Ethan, wait!"

Too late. He threw a punch at the bag and it felt as if he had punched a solid wall. He jumped back, trying to shake the pain off his hand. "Owww! Drat, w-w-what's in that bag? That hurt!"

"S-steel chains. It had to be durable for my team to train with. If it were filled with sand, they'd tear the bags apart everytime. So I had them filled with steel chains so they can train. Are you okay?"

The pain in his hand began to subside a little and it made him glad he hadn't tried to throw a stronger punch but a light jab. He shook his hand a few more times. "I'll be fine. I...just won't be trying to throw some punches at these bags next time."

"Oh, that's good."

"So just what stuff did you discover?"

She sat down on a nearby chair. "Well, I was down by the Cliff Gate caves again because I remember Magneton detecting something while we were down there and it kept nagging at me. I felt annoyed we didn't get to investigate further so I decided to look into it further. I skipped the caves we had checked but I did see a boat with a couple of Team Rocket people go into one of the caves."

"So perhaps that map we found just marked where their hideouts are?"

She shrugged. "M-maybe. I followed a little after them and discovered a large docking area inside the cave but didn't go any further because I would have been outnumbered."

He smiled. "Well that's helpful!"

"I also overheard them talking. I had thought about leaving but when they started talking, I decided...to just hang around. They talked a bit about some new recruits showing up at night and taking them out to one of the Sevii Islands."

His eyes grew wide. "Wow, really? When was this?"

"J-just a couple of days ago so I imagine that they could be accepting some tonight and taking them out there."

Was this the opening they needed to infiltrate Team Rocket? They had wracked their brains about how to use the uniforms to infiltrate but if they could somehow sneak in and pose as recruits, that might be their chance to get inside and learn more about this new Team Rocket. This was the opening they needed, why was he hesitating? "Hmmm."

"What is it?"

He opened his mouth to speak but shut it. Darnit, he really wanted to check it out but what if the plan didn't work out so good? At least last time, no one got hurt when the last plan failed but would he be that lucky this time? He pulled off his backpack and opened it. "Hey, I was wondering if you could try this outfit on. It's a replica of the Team Rocket uniforms."

"Are...you thinking about infiltrating them for real?"

"Yea. I think I have a plan. We'll just go there, posing as some new recruits for Team Rocket. I remember that they look highly upon recruits who have strong Pokemon with them-"

"How do you...know that?"

He pulled out the outfit. "Well, it's something one of them said to me back during the little caper in Mahogany. The guy was annoyed that I screwed up their plans but also said with my Pokemon, I would have made a great Rocket exec."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"I guess it makes sense why all of the lower ranked members have weak Pokemon while the ones in power have the stronger and well trained Pokemon. I'm not totally sure if that's the case, it's just something I noticed."

She took the outfit and looked it over. She looked at him for a bit and he laughed before turning around. "T-thanks."

He pulled out his phone and dialed Crystal's number. It took only a few rings before she answered. "Hello Ethan."

"Oh hey Chris. Real quick, I had something to ask you."

"Oh, what's up?"

"I think I found the opening we needed to infiltrate Team Rocket. Me and Jasmine will pose as a pair of new recruits. They seem to be meeting at their hideout in the Cliff Gate caves and then taking them out to one of the Sevii Islands."

"That...sounds like it could work but I don't know about being taken out to some island offshore."

"Well, I know but it seems like the opening we could use, right?"

She let out a groan. "Yes, yes it could but-"

"I'm just letting you know so that if something happens, you would know where to go or who to notify."

"Listen...well it seems like you're convinced that this might work-"

"Well not exactly. That's why I'm calling you. Do you have any other suggestions?"

She sighed. "Well...at least you're asking. Well if you want to go undercover, I think first off you two will have to act differently from the way you are now. So instead of being your usual self, you could try acting like her, quiet and reserved."

"That's...gonna be tough."

"And Jasmine...would kind of act like you. You also couldn't use the same Pokemon you have now. Use some different ones so they won't catch on. If they see a trainer with a high level Wigglytuff, Ludicolo and such...you can imagine that will cause some suspicion. You have plenty of other Pokemon, I'm sure you can find some to work for you."

"Those are some great suggestions."

"I...just kind of wish I was there to help but perhaps next time."

He soon got off the phone with Crystal, in time for Jasmine to speak up. "Y-you can turn around."

He did so, to see her decked out in full Team Rocket garb. She tugged a bit on the skirt and blushed. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "It looks good or should I say it looks evil?"

"I...don't know what to think about it. It fits but I feel a bit guilty wearing it."

He shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't be. I kind of had the same feelings as you when I tried mine on last evening and then I had to remind myself that while I'm wearing the uniform, that doesn't mean I agree with their goals. I'm much better than that."

She blushed a bit more and smiled. "You're right."

"So I was thinking as part of our disguises, that we act differently. Like I would act quiet and reserved. You would act outgoing and perky. A bit like me in fact."

"Perky...and outgoing."

He nodded. "Give it a shot."

She stood up and gathered herself. "H-h-hi, my name is Jasmine!"

She looked at him and he shook his head. "You can't really stutter though. You have to say it with confidence and feeling."

She nodded and gathered herself again. It really seemed out of her nature to be like this and he could only imagine trying to act all reserved and quiet. "Hi, my name is Jasmine! And you are?"

"H-h-huh? Oh...I'm...Ethan," he said. She smiled as he stared at the ground. "Ugh...it's so hard! How am I supposed to act like that?"

"W-with-er excuse me. With practice! I'm sure you can do it. If I can, so can you!"

She seemed to be getting it down a little. Somehow seeing her act all perky and such made him smile a bit. It was kind of nice seeing her face brighten up, especially considering how shy she usually was. She didn't have to be like this all the time but it might be nice to see her open up a bit more. Just a little.

By the looks of it, they weren't the only new recruits headed out that night. When they arrived at the hideout, he could see quite a few more people decked out in full Team Rocket gear. Many of them boasted about some of the nasty deeds they had done like stealing Pokemon from some young trainer or stepping in and catching Pokemon before other trainers could. It made him a bit angry that they all seemed to revel in it and he had to remember the people he was dealing with. He looked over at Jasmine, who had begun chatting with some other recruits, feeling a bit comfortable in her role.

As for him? He was so used to engaging with people that having to sit and wait for someone to engage with him drove him up a wall. Especially because it didn't seem like anyone around him was interested in speaking. What a drag! He felt like drifting over to Jasmine but just as he thought about it, the man of the hour appeared before all the recruits. And to his horror, it was the same man with the cruel Salamence by his side.


	8. Going Deep Undercover

The man looked out across the crowd, sneering while he was at it. He looked upon them with such disgust in his face, Ethan thought he would spit on them and walk away. Or just sic his Salamence on them as he was known for doing. He saddled up to the front and folded his arms. "So, welcome recruits. My name is Gerald and I'm one of the execs of the new Team Rocket. It's good to see so many willing souls, ready to join our cause. I will be honest in saying that most of you will not join us. This is the new Team Rocket and we are far more selective of who we choose. We only select the best of the best."

He could hear the collective groan fill the room. To be fair, he was just a tad worried that he wouldn't be picked but if it came down to being one of the strongest trainers, he knew he and Jasmine would pass. Gerald looked across them again and nodded. "I'm sure you all know what Team Rocket stands for, what we hope to strive for. Good because I'm not in the mood to spell it out. I'm more interested in seeing if any of you have the stones to be in this gang. There will be two tests to weed you out. The first test will be teaming up with another one of your fellow recruits and completing the task we set out for you. It will not be easy, I'm guessing some of you will even wimp out of it but to those who complete it, you'll go on to the next task, which I will explain to the ones who pass."

He leveled his eyes and pulled a bunch of index cards. "I've already taken the liberty of pairing you up with a stranger amongst the group. It will train you to work well with others."

Drat, he hadn't expected that but how bad could it be? Hopefully the person he worked with wasn't a jerk or annoying. That would be the pits. He looked over at Jasmine, just as Gerald spoke up again. "Jenny and Mick, you two will be tasked with stealing a couple of Pokedex from Professor Oak's lab."

Jenny, that would be Jasmine. They knew they couldn't use their regular names and chose a couple of random names. Stealing a couple of Pokedex? Were they just keeping it to petty crime this first go around? If so, it might be pretty easy to fake it but if they got any more serious, it might be tough to fake it.

He had expected to be picked pretty soon after her but soon found himself as one of the last few remaining in the room. Almost everyone else had been dismissed already to do whatever Gerald had set them out to do and yet here he stood. He hadn't been picked last in anything since middle school where he was always last for dodgeball because he was crummy at it. Or perhaps they suspected something? Gerald dismissed the last remaining people in the room and looked down at him. He put his hands behind his back and looked around. "And now we have you. What's your name again?"

"A-A-Alan, sir."

The Salamence let out a growl and Gerald patted it on the head. "Calm down, calm down. Well Alan, there's a reason why you're last. Do you want to know why?"

"Umm, why?"

Gerald hopped down from the stage. "You have some pretty strong Pokemon with you. A lot of the trainers here brought Poison or Fire Pokemon in an attempt to earn some bonus points. You instead brought along a Larvitar, Electrode and Spheal."

"I...well I wanted to bring some strong Pokemon along. All of the Team Rocket execs seem to have a more diverse and stronger cast of Pokemon and...well, I guess I felt that was my best chance to move up."

Gerald rubbed his chin. "Interesting. It's good to see recruits who see the value in strong Pokemon. I'm so sick of seeing people with weak Pokemon. Only the strong prevail in Team Rocket and if you're toting around a bunch of weak Pokemon, you'll only be held back."

He shook his head. "S-s-so what is my task I have to complete?"

"I have a special one for you. It involves dealing with a pesky trainer who has been causing us no shortage of grief. She goes by the name of Roxanne and I want you to defeat her in battle and take her Pokemon away."

"Will that...persuade her to give it up or-"

"To be honest, I don't expect her to give up. I would love to ensure that she gives up her little crusade permanently but I'm also not in charge," he said with a grin. Somehow Ethan could figure just how he would put a stop to that. Well it didn't seem too bad. It was still a stupid petty crime but he might be able to fake it, especially since it appeared he would be without a partner.

"I understand. Do...you have a description of her?"

Gerald produced a folder from his jacket and handed it to him. He took it and opened it up to reveal a full page photo of Roxanne, the gym leader from Hoehn. He frowned as soon as he saw her. A gym leader would be pretty tough to deal with, especially without his regular team. She used rock Pokemon and he knew right away that Juan and Wiggler would deal with them with ease. "She's a gym leader from Hoehn. Uses mainly rock Pokemon."

"I see. I guess I better get on it-"

"Not without a partner," another familiar voice said. Ethan turned to see M walk into the room. Gerald rolled his eyes and grumbled. "What is it Gerald? I thought we were supposed to teach these new recruits the importance of teamwork, crime and dirty business. I see crime and dirty business but what about the teamwork?"

Gerald shot a glare at him. "I don't understand this little preoccupation you have with teamwork. Shouldn't we be first making sure they can actually complete the tasks at hand? We already have too many wuss out and run home because they aren't ready."

M laughed and waved him off. "Perhaps if we let them team up with whoever, they might be more willing to do what we ask. That's beside the point anyways considering that they're supposed to be paired up with someone."

"Look around M. Do you see any other recruits around? Would it be fair to pair him with one of the regular members. That would just give him an unnecessary edge. It would make him weak. I'm quite sure he can complete this task, alone."

Alone would be real nice. Or if he had been paired with Jasmine at least but doing it alone would be just as cool. M shook his head. "You know what he said. You don't want it to seem that you disobeyed his orders, right?"

Gerald let out a sigh at the mention of that. Was M talking about the big boss? He was tempted, really tempted to ask who that was but something told him that getting in between these two was about as bad as trying to separate Gerald's Salamence from a meal. "His orders. Always his orders. I doubt you even care about that. You only care because you can use that fact against me."

"All's fair."

"So then tell me M, who will be his partner? You still haven't ironed out that particular detail, now have you? It's not like we have any more recruits coming in tonight."

M pursed his lips and folded his arms. "I don't know but I think I have someone."

"Well stop wasting my time then! I just want to send this guy off so I can get back to business at hand."

M laughed. "You mean going after all the gym leaders. I don't see how you can do that with just one Pokemon. Once they find out which Pokemon you're using, they'll just use every-"

"I was told the same thing when I entered the organization. They said I wouldn't get very far with just a Bagon. Now look at where I am."

M shook his head. "Fine fine."

Gerald looked at Ethan. "Well last I heard, Roxanne was-"

"Hey hey, he still needs a partner! I have just the person for him."

"Fine. Just stop wasting my time!"

They really didn't seem fond of each other. M gave Gerald a playful smile before walking off. Gerald sneered and patted the head of his Salamence. "One of these days...one of these days, I'm going to wipe the smile off that stupid face of his."

M returned a few minutes later with a young woman. She looked to be around his age and wore a female Team Rocket outfit. She had somewhat long dark blue hair and a pair of gold hair ornaments. M had his hand on her shoulder but she didn't even look up at him or Gerald. "Her? Is this your special apprentice again?"

"Jamie, yes. She hasn't been with us that long so I don't think she'd give him much of an edge over the other recruits."

Ethan put his hands in his pockets and heard Gerald grumble. "Fine, whatever."

M pulled Jamie close and began to speak to her in hushed tones. He looked over at Gerald. "So, is there...somewhere I should look for Roxanne?"

"To be honest, she moves around. I don't know where to exactly find her, you'll have to investigate a bit."

"Actually Jamie knows where to find her," M said. Ethan looked back over at the two and Jamie looked up at him with a sad smile. Her eyes looked like they had little to no life in them. She looked a bit cute but the way she carried herself didn't help. "Don't you?"

"I guess so."

He patted her on the shoulder and pushed her forward, even though she seemed to resist. Gerald shook his head. "I don't see how this will work out. How will they even work as a team when they both seem the same? He might as well work alone."

"Trust me, I think they'll work very well together."

Work well together? He had to wonder why M thought that. He didn't even know him and yet he was positive they would make a great team? It still annoyed him that he had a chance to work alone and was teamed up with someone in the end. He looked over at Jamie who walked step for step with him. "So...uh...your name is Jamie? How long have you been with them?"

"Oh...uh just a couple of weeks."

"Do you...like it?" he asked. He really hoped it'd be no. He wasn't sure if he could handle someone who was super gung ho about Team Rocket, at least not yet.

"It's okay. I'm a bit lonely there. I...had to abandon some of my friends to join."

He couldn't imagine abandoning his friends to do something like this. It made him glad that he was working together with them to infiltrate the organization. "That's-"

"What about you?"

"I...ahh, don't have any friends. I kind of hope to make some here."

She sighed. "I see."

"So, Jamie...how do you know how to find Roxanne?"

Jamie took out her phone. "Roxanne...used to be a friend of mine."

She first abandoned her friends and is now willing to turn on them? Forget being teamed up with a recruit that was gung ho about Team Rocket! They had teamed him up with someone who was willing to turn on her own friends. "A friend of yours?"

"Yes. I can...just call her and she'll answer."

"I...well I guess I'll defer to you for now."

Jamie dialed the number. He folded his arms while they waited. "Oh...hi Roxanne. Yea, it's me, Jamie. Huh, no I'm fine! Really, I am! I was...wondering if you could meet me somewhere..."

As she talked, he noticed that her face seemed to light up as she spoke with the gym leader. She had said Roxanne was a former friend but she sure seemed to like speaking with her. Perhaps she was just faking it but it was tough to say.

Jamie finished up her conversation and looked at him. "Well...uh, she wants to meet us in the Ilex Forest but...I don't know where that is."

He sighed. "I know where it is. I can get us there. It shouldn't take long."

He could remember the last time he had visited Ilex Forest. It had been in the early morning, when he and Wiggler were off to visit the Day Care Center. That was when Wiggler had discovered one of the plates buried in the ground. He usually didn't come out to the forest late at night. It made him wish he could have Wiggler walking alongside him but that would just blow his cover. He couldn't resist being without him though and had his Pokeball with him still. He just would avoid bringing him out. He looked over at Jamie and she sighed. "Ummm, Alan?"

"Yea?"

"When...when we confront Roxanne, would you take her on in a Pokemon battle?"

"H-huh, me?"

"Yea. I don't...think I can do that," she said, looking away. He frowned. He'd love to avoid that if possible. Perhaps he could figure out something so he wouldn't have to faint them all. He liked Pokemon battling as much as the next guy but knocking them out so he could steal them was a bit much. "Please?"

She looked at him with the most wounded and vulnerable look she could and he felt his resolve began to melt. He looked away. "I'll try."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."

They turned the corner and found Roxanne standing next to the small lake, along with her Pokemon standing next to her, a Nosepass of all things. Kind of a funny looking Pokemon to be sure. It's one he couldn't have but almost every Pokemon had a fan, right? Jamie spoke up first. "Roxanne, it's me, Jamie."

Roxanne turned around, her face lighting up with excitement but turning sour quick. "Jamie...what are you doing in Team Rocket gear?"

"I...umm...it's a long story."

"A long story? You're with Team Rocket! Did they force you into this? How did they blackmail you?"

Jamie seemed to shy away from this line of questions and soon Roxanne noticed him. He folded his arms. "So you're Roxanne-"

"And I take it you're the one making sure she stays in line, right?"

What was she talking about? "Huh? I-I'm just her partner."

"So what are you doing to hold her hostage?"

"H-holding her hostage? What are you talking about?"

Roxanne held out a Pokeball. "Well I'm taking Jamie back with me so you can just tell your bosses-"

"She belongs with us, Team Rocket. I came with her into this forest and...I'm leaving with her," he said. He had to remind himself that he was supposed to be timid and shy, otherwise he might have gotten a little carried away. Roxanne glared at him as he moved closer to Jamie. "And...we need your Pokemon."

"Need? You sound like you expect me to just give them away."

He grasped Jamie by the arm. "I-I do expect you to give them away. Or else, she's gonna get it."

"H-h-huh? What are you doing Alan?"

"You're crazy! You better not harm her you...coward!"

"I will if you don't turn over your Pokemon...now. I don't want to do it but-"

"How about you try getting them from me yourself?"

He shook his head. "That would take too much time. Now...give them up."

"A-Alan?"

Roxanne looked away, looking a bit pained while she was at it. He could only imagine how angry she had to be with him. "You...better not harm her."

"I...won't. So long as I get your Pokemon. That's all I care about."

Roxanne took out six Pokeballs and held them out. He let Jamie go and she took them from Roxanne. "Jamie, you don't have to do-"

"I...I didn't ask you to share your opinion," he said. Roxanne looked a bit stunned by his comment as Jamie hurried back over to him. He noticed one of the Pokeballs didn't have a flashing button and he took it from her. "What's with...this one?"

Roxanne folded her arms. "That's...Nosepass' ball."

He pointed it at the Nosepass and summoned it back to its ball. He looked at it and smiled. "Good. Thanks for that."

"Jamie, why are you with them? What did they do to make you join?"

Jamie began to open her mouth to speak but looked away. "I...well..."

"She chose to. She wasn't forced-"

"I wasn't speaking to you," Roxanne said. He sighed. What could he do? He could keep trying to be quiet and timid or what if...he decided to just have some fun with it instead?

"Well...she's my partner so anything you say to her, can be said to me."

"Some partner. You were willing to hurt her just to get my Pokemon."

He shook his head. "It was...just something I had to do. I didn't want to do it, I just..."

"Spare me the speech, okay."

He folded his arms. "I...could say the same. We came here and got what we wanted so-"

"You aren't going anywhere," Roxanne said. He shrugged.

"How...will you stop us? We took your Pokemon so you don't have any Pokemon to defend yourself with. And...Jamie is still coming with me."

"Jamie, come on! You don't have to do this. It's Team Rocket, they're obviously up to no good and-"

"We're going," he said. He looked over at Jamie, whose eyes looked more than a bit watery. "Right, Jamie?"

Jamie didn't move at first and he began to wonder if seeing her old friend might cause her to turn. And if so, how much trouble would he be in, considering she was M's apprentice or something like that? If he were in Jamie's position, who would be in Roxanne's position? Jamie let out a sigh and walked in the direction away from Roxanne, to his relief. He was just about to follow when he heard her speak up. "And what's your name?"

"It's...Alan."

"You won't be so lucky next time."

That line kind of sent chills down his spine but if he was infiltrating Team Rocket, being hated would just come with the territory. He had to wonder if it might become a bit too successful...eh probably not. Gerald seemed a bit stunned when they arrived back at the hideout. "You've finished...already?"

He looked at Jamie and nodded. "Yes, we got all of her Pokemon. Without even a fight. I thought about taking her on but I...thought it'd be a waste of time so I did something else."

Gerald laughed. "Oh? And that is?"

He sighed. "I...threatened to harm Jamie if she didn't give the Pokeballs up. Roxanne seemed to know Jamie and...she gave them up after a bit of time."

Gerald laughed. It had to be the first time he had seen the guy seem a bit jolly. Well perhaps he was jolly the other times but it was a bit hard to tell considering he had other things on his mind. He smiled at them. "Heh, I like it. Being a bit ruthless more than makes up for the fact that you didn't crush her Pokemon in battle. I guess there will be other times for that."

Getting complimented by him made Ethan feel sick to the stomach. A nice word, from him of all people? Ugh. He'd rather listen to Crystal's nagging or Wiggler's awful singing than that. He nodded at Gerald. "Thank you."

"Well Jamie, you can take those Pokemon to M. He'll know what to do with them. As for you Alan, tomorrow night, you will go down to the Lake of Rage where another one of our hideouts lie. There you will be instructed on what to do next."

"So...I'm dismissed for now?"

Gerald nodded. "Yes, you can go. You passed the first test with ease."

"So, how did it go?"

He let out a sigh as Crystal leaned forward in anticipation. Wiggler bounced around, happy to be free from its ball and a bit annoyed at him for being stuck in there for some time. He splashed his feet in the water and shrugged. "Well it went okay. We made it into the hideout fine but they gave us all a bunch of things to accomplish. I guess it's their way of weeding out the flakers."

"Well...it is a gang. I guess it's something you have to be aware of. What did you have to do?"

He stared up at the sky. "Well...hehe...I was teamed up with this one girl and we had to steal some Pokemon from a gym leader. It was actually a gym leader from Hoehn. They wanted us to faint them all and take them but I thought it would take too long so I...uh...hehe-"

"What?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.

He rubbed the back of his head. "I...threatened to attack my partner if the gym leader didn't give up the Pokemon. It seemed they knew each other and I decided to use that to my advantage. She gave them up without a fight."

Crystal looked away for a bit. "Wow Ethan, that's...kind of ruthless."

"I know. I just thought that maybe if I pretended to be more cruel and ruthless, it'd help with the investigation."

She nodded. "As long as you're just faking it and they think you're doing it for real, that's good. I don't think it'll be so easy to learn what they're up to so..."

"And when they weren't looking, I snatched a few of the Pokemon we stole. I plan to give them back to her," he said with a smile. He heard Wiggler let out a curious squeak and he looked over at him. "Huh, what is it Wigg?"

"Umm...excuse me," Jasmine said. He turned to see her standing a few feet behind them. She had her hands behind her back and he motioned her forward.

"Oh hey Jasmine! I'm glad you could make it. Sit down and you can tell me how your night went."

She sat down on the bank next to him and sighed. "My night...went okay to be honest. We were tasked with stealing a couple of Pokedex computers from Professor Oak's lab. Midway through the task, my partner got cold feet and decided to leave. I thought about doing the same but...I knew we had to go undercover to some info on what they were up to so I went through with it."

"Were you able to steal the items?" Crystal asked. Jasmine clasped her hands together and sighed.

"I didn't get the chance. I ran into some police officers and once they saw my outfit, they were after me in a flash. I was lucky to escape but I wasn't able to get the items they wanted."

"So I guess that means you didn't pass then."

She nodded. "Yes, that's right. I tried but...I don't think I'd make a good Team Rocket member."

He smiled. "Well at least one of us is still in. You did your best."

"So...how did you do?"

He gave a nervous laugh and looked at Crystal. "Well...I uh passed the first test which was stealing some Pokemon from a gym leader. I went a bit beyond what they wanted and Gerald was pretty impressed."

"Who's Gerald?" Crystal asked.

"That's the jerk with the Salamence. At least I have a face to the na-I mean a name to the face now!"

"He was...impressed? How did that make you feel?"

He shook his head. "I felt a bit dirty. I mean, he's the guy who's attacked us before with his Pokemon and here he is, complimenting me on my ruthlessness! It felt so weird coming out of his mouth too. I wonder what he'd think if he really knew who he was complimenting?"

"He'd still compliment you."

He looked at Crystal again. "Huh, what makes you say that?"

"Well, think of it from his perspective. You probably hate Team Rocket with all your heart and despise everything they stand for. Seeing you doing the same stuff as them would be ironic and make you look like a massive hypocrite, which I'd imagine would give him a laugh or two."

He folded his arms and watched Wiggler bounce across the water. "When you put it that way..."

"However you probably won't learn anything about their plans for some time. They won't just trust you with everything right off the bat."

"Are you telling me we'll have to be patient?"

"Of course!"

He stared up at the sky and grumbled. He felt someone touch his shoulder and he realized it was Jasmine. "It'll be okay. It's...not like we'll be just standing around while you work with Team Rocket."

"Heh, she's right."

Nice to see that Crystal wouldn't mind working with Jasmine. For some reason, it seemed like Crystal didn't like her much. He couldn't imagine why. She was a pretty nice and gentle person. "That's all good and all but...what?"

"Well didn't you say you swiped some of those Pokemon you stole? We could start with returning them for once. And then perhaps we could fill in someone on what we're doing. I mean-"

"Not too many people! That would ruin the surprise."

Crystal sighed. "Surprise? What, you plan on dropping the disguise or something?"

"Well-"

"M-maybe you should just...keep doing what you're doing Ethan," Jasmine said. He looked at her and she shied away.

"Yea, I mean we need to tell someone. Just to let them know. What if they arrest you and try to throw you in jail? Wouldn't it be helpful for someone else to know so that wouldn't happen?"

He laughed. "You two could just break me out if that does happen."

Wiggler, Crystal and Jasmine all looked at him and he began to laugh again. "Break you out-"

"He's...just kidding," Jasmine said. Crystal shook her head.

"But...who do we tell anyways? It needs to be someone with some influence," he asked. "Someone we can trust."

Crystal pursed her lips, another sure fire sign that she was deep in thought. He looked over at Jasmine and she seemed deep in thought as well. "That's a good question."

"What about Professor Elm? I mean Professor Oak is so busy with his show and also his research so it'd be a bit rude to just trust him with all this information. Elm isn't as busy as him so we wouldn't be bothering him. He might even like not being overlooked for once."

"Since when is Professor Elm overlooked?" Crystal asked. Wiggler let out an amused squeak and she looked over at him.

"Well...I don't hear much about him," Jasmine said. "That...may be since I live way out in Olivine."

"Yea, but you're also a Gym leader. If a Gym leader doesn't hear, why would other people? The only reason we hear from him is because we live in New Bark. Everyone knows Professor Oak and he doesn't even live in Johto," he said.

"That's just one person-"

"And when you won the Pokemon League Championship...over me, who was there to congratulate you?"

Crystal tilted her head a bit and smirked. "I think I see where you're getting at," she said as she got to her feet. "Let's go over and talk to him now."


	9. Making Amends

"So...you guys are infiltrating this new version of Team Rocket? Are you the only people doing this?"

Ethan looked at Jasmine and then Crystal. "Yea, that's about the gist of it."

Professor Elm shook his head. "I just can't believe that even after all this, Team Rocket is still at it. Didn't Archer swear to disband Team Rocket for good? What happened to that?"

Crystal shrugged. "He did say that but I'm not sure this Team Rocket is connected to the old Team Rocket."

"Huh, what makes you say that?" Ethan asked.

"It's just a thought. I mean have you even seen any of the old Team Rocket executives there?"

He folded his arms. "Well, not really. None of these guys seem familiar. It could be someone else who started it up."

Crystal chuckled and he looked over at her. "Heh, I think that gives me an idea. I think I remember hearing one of the former Team Rocket execs is connected to the Celadon Game Corner. Perhaps...we could ask them."

Elm nodded. "Well it's a bit nice to be notified about what is going on. I was kept a bit in the dark about the previous Team Rocket incident and didn't find out all the details until later. I'm not shocked to see that both of you are investigating it but I was a bit surprised that you're helping Jasmine."

"Oh...yes. Well...we first discovered this plot in Olivine. I've...just been helping since then...since I'm a gym leader and all."

Elm nodded but it didn't appear as if he was satisfied with the answer. "And all you know is that they are after some plates, connected to a legendary Pokemon?"

"Yep! Do you know anything about that?"

Elm tapped his fingers on the desk. "Perhaps. I've heard of something like that but there is more information about it in Sinnoh. I'll contact my colleague Rowan. I'm sure if there is anything, he'd know."

"Perhaps while you're doing that, we can go do what we need to do. I mean there are quite a few things we need to do before the evening."

"What happens this evening?" Elm asked.

"I have to go back to Team Rocket and complete whatever the next task is. If I succeed, perhaps I'll finally be a part of Team Rocket," Ethan said. "I passed the first test with flying colors so it's on to the next!"

"You sound excited."

"I think I'll have more fun pretending to side with them, while somehow sabotaging their efforts every step of the way."

"Just as long as you're careful," Elm said. "I'd hate for you guys to get hurt trying to stop them."

He laughed. "Hey, we've dealt with Team Rocket before and we can deal with them again."

"Nice to see you still haven't lost that sense of confidence."

Ethan frowned. "Lost it? Why would I lose it?"

Elm chuckled. "Well you know, losing the Pokemon League Championship final..."

"Oh that? I'm over that by now," he said.

Crystal cleared her throat. "I'd...hate to be rude but we have to be going Professor Elm. We have quite a few things to take care of before this evening and I don't want to make Ethan late for that."

Business as usual with her. Elm gave a knowing smile. "That's okay. I don't want to keep you but please take care of yourselves and keep me posted."

Outside his lab, Crystal walked a bit ahead of him and Jasmine. He looked at Jasmine, a bit confused as to what was going on but she soon spoke up. "So where to first?"

"Well..."

"I think we should return the Pokemon I swiped to that gym leader. And perhaps explain what is going on. I just might need your help."

"Our help?" Jasmine asked. He put his hands behind his head.

"Yea well...I almost have the feeling that she might slap me. She seemed pretty outraged when I threatened to harm my partner Jamie if she didn't give up the Pokemon. I can...only imagine how annoyed she'll be when she realizes that I was faking it."

Crystal laughed. "She won't slap you! Who was she anyway?"

"Her name is Roxanne. I think she's a gym leader in Hoehn."

"Hoehn? What is she doing out here?" Crystal asked. He shrugged as she pulled out her phone and he raised an eyebrow.

"You...have her number?"

"Of course. I was the Champion for some time. I got to know some people."

He shrugged and watched Wiggler try in vain to catch a passing Butterfree. He kept bouncing up but each time he did, the Butterfree would fly out of his reach. That only seemed to make him more determined to catch it. As it flew off toward the trees, he launched high into the air, trying in earnest to catch it but with his short limbs, it just wasn't happening. He fell into the treetops, letting out an annoyed squeak while he was at it. Ethan laughed. "Give it a rest!"

"Does...he get angry with you when you keep him in the Pokeball?"

He looked at Jasmine and nodded. "Yea, he does. He tolerates it when the situation calls for it but he really prefers to be outside of his ball and hanging out with me. What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yea! Do you ever like to let your Pokemon walk outside of their Pokeball? I bet if you let one of them do it, they'd really appreciate it once in a while. My other Pokemon don't mind one way or the other but Wiggler does."

She put her hands behind her back. "Well I...don't know which to choose. Maybe Rusty but he's a Steelix, you know."

"Yea, I see your point. He might be-"

"But...I was just thinking that your...I mean Wiggler looks so happy being out of his ball that, I really would like to let one of my own Pokemon roam outside of their ball," she said. She brushed back her hair and smiled. "I'm still unsure who I'd use."

He folded his arms. "You know, from talking with other trainers who also let their Pokemon out of their ball, I find that they like to let their favorite one out."

"Hmmm, their favorite one. I see."

"So...I'm guessing that would be Rusty for you. Even if he is kinda big!"

She took out the Pokeball holding it. "Hmm perhaps-"

"What are you two talking about?" Crystal asked. He turned to see her standing behind them.

"Oh, so you're done?"

She shrugged. "Yea. I told her to meet us in Ilex Forest-"

"Why there?" Jasmine asked. Crystal rubbed the back of her head.

"Well...if she feels the need to slap you, I'd prefer it not be in public."

He leveled his eyes at her and she smiled. "Well, okay. It should give me the chance to apologize if need be."

"We were...well he was trying to help me choose which Pokemon I could let out of its ball, like Wiggles."

At the sound of that, Wiggler let out an angry squeak. They looked over at him and he waved its arms at them. Ethan held out his hand. "Calm down Wiggs. She didn't mean it."

"What's wrong?"

Crystal laughed. "I used to call him that but he really seemed to hate it so I stopped. I think it's because he thinks it's a little girly or something."

"Oh...I see."

Crystal smiled. "As for what you two were talking about...I think it's interesting."

Ethan laughed. "Interesting? Why don't you do it as well? Let one of your Pokemon roam outside its ball. Wiggler could use some company!"

Crystal folded her arms. "That's tough. I'm not sure if any of them would like that."

Jasmine put away the Pokeball. "Are you sure?"

"Well...I think-"

"What's the harm? If they don't like it, you can just let them go back inside the Pokeball," Ethan said. Crystal still looked a bit unsure and he shrugged. "Well let's just get to Ilex. Perhaps you'll figure out what you want to do by then."

By the time they reached Ilex, he found himself feeling more than a bit anxious. The last time he had felt like this...was back just before he had his match with Crystal for the Pokemon League Championship. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. All he was doing was just explaining to Roxanne what had happened. Perhaps he was just trying to get on her good side. He smiled at that and heard Crystal speak up.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Huh? Oh...nothing."

Crystal laughed. "I've seen that dopey smile before."

Wiggler let out an amused squeak and he shook his head. "What dopey smile?"

She smirked. "That dopey smile you get when you're about to talk to a girl."

"Hey! I don't do that!"

"A-actually I remember you had that same look when talking to me," Jasmine said. He looked at her and then back at Crystal.

"Hey, why are you two ganging up on me? You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I'm just suggesting that you...calm down. We're here to just return her Pokemon and explain the situation. If you look like you find the situation amusing, she might take it the wrong way and that will just make our job tougher."

"Oh...I see your point."

She nodded. "Besides, she's not your type anyways."

What was that supposed to mean? How did Crystal even know his type anyways? They turned the corner and found Roxanne waiting for them, in the same spot he and Jamie had met her. She noticed them at once and Crystal stepped forward. "Hey Roxanne. It's me Crystal, we spoke on the phone."

Roxanne nodded. "Ahh yes, glad to see you but...who are these two?"

He puffed out his chest. "Well, I'm the second toughest trainer-"

"This is Ethan, my good friend and career second place guy," she said and he frowned. Roxanne laughed.

"And this is Jasmine, gym leader of Olivine and a master of Steel Pokemon."

Jasmine bowed. "It's...nice to meet another gym leader."

"Yea, I've heard about you. You used to train rock Pokemon, didn't you?"

"Ahhh...yes I did. Once upon a time. And then I discovered the Steel type and...I was hooked."

Roxanne smirked. "I see. Well perhaps a talk with me and you'll go back to the Rock Pokemon in no time!"

Crystal cleared her throat and took a few steps back. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Speaking of Rock Pokemon, Ethan has something to tell you."

"Huh?"

She took her hand off and he shook his head. Roxanne looked at him with a puzzled look and he smiled. "Well...I'm actually the Team Rocket guy who was with Jamie and who took your Pokemon."

"You...what?"

He laughed again as it seemed she was still trying to take it in. "I'm the Team Rocket guy who took your Pokemon. That's me. The same guy who threatened to harm-"

SMACK! He didn't see it but had a feeling it was coming. It still hurt like crazy as she slapped him across the face, causing his face to turn to the side. Even after it, his cheek still throbbed in pain for some time. He moved his jaw up and down a few times and winced. "Thanks a lot."

"Yea, I probably...deserved that one...ow. Okay, since we got that out of the way, are you satisfied?"

"Not until Jamie is free from Team Rocket."

Crystal shook her head. "I'm not sure how we can solve that one but Ethan really isn't a Team Rocket member. He's only pretending to be one so we can find out what they're up to."

Roxanne stuck out her bottom lip at him. They were really off to to best of starts. "If he was pretending, he really seemed to be enjoying himself."

"I wasn't, trust me. I hate them as much as you do...ow. However I did swipe a few of your Pokemon away before they locked them up and brought them."

He took off his backpack and took out the three Pokeballs. She took them and looked them over. "You...remembered the one with Nosepass."

"Well...I...uh remembered that you had him outside his Pokeball and I figured you might think of him as your favorite."

She held that one Pokeball to her mouth and her face seemed to lighten a little. "I see. Well...so what do you guys know so far?"

"Not much. We know they're after these strange stone plates. And that they seem connected to a legendary Pokemon in Sinnoh but that's it. We figured that by infiltrating Team Rocket, we might find out more about their goals but it hasn't been easy so far."

Roxanne shook her head. "I don't know anything about that. I've just been after them because they have Jamie."

"They must have a good reason for that. We just don't see anything about her to explain it," Crystal said. Ethan nodded.

"Yea, she...seems like a regular girl to me."

"Well that's...no, you're right. She's just a normal girl."

"But that's the gist of the situation. Sorry to get you involved."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's just...what can I do to help?"

Ethan looked at Crystal, who just smiled. "Well I know one thing they are doing. They're going after the gym leaders of Johto and Kanto. It's their way of taking out whoever could have a shot at stopping them."

Roxanne nodded. "I see but why haven't one of you been doing that already?"

Crystal gave a nervous laugh. "Well...the thing is-"

"That she was attacked by Team Rocket and held hostage so they could get to one of the plates I had. They also disposed of her entire team...permanently so she's been training a new team. It'll be some time before they're back to the level of her old team."

Jasmine sighed. "And...I only help out when I can. I still have my gym to look after."

Roxanne nodded. "I see. So he's the main muscle behind the operation."

He frowned. "Doesn't that mean I'm usually the dumbest part?"

"I think...he's more of the heart and soul of it. I think," Jasmine said.

"No, she's right. He's the one who makes everything go."

"Oh...I see. Well if you do have to work with Jamie, just look after her."

He smiled. "I'll be sure to look after her. You can trust me."

Roxanne nodded. "So...help protect the gym leaders, huh? Just who is Team Rocket sending out there that could pose a threat? They'd have to be pretty strong."

Ethan laughed. "It's just one guy with one Pokemon. It's just a really strong Pokemon. Some of my Pokemon are in the low seventies as far as levels are and this guy's Salamence knocked it out in one hit. He's not the guy you'd like to tangle with."

"Hmmm, we'll see about that. He's a flyer so my Rock Pokemon could teach him a thing or two."

Once Roxanne had left, he leaned against a nearby tree and smiled. "Well, nice to see that the meeting didn't go as bad as I thought."

"Why, what were you thinking would happen?" Crystal asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know...I expected to be slapped around a few more times. Maybe yelled at-"

"I would have stepped in before it got that far, trust me. Now we just have to figure out what to do next."

"Maybe...visit Celadon and ask that-"

"Yea, we should go do that next. I hope we can talk to him though."

"What makes you say that?"

She shook her head. "Well think about it. We did kill their attempts to revive Team Rocket. Why wouldn't they be happy to talk with the people who helped stop that plot?"

"Well when you put it that way..."

"Do you...still think they'd hold a grudge?" Jasmine asked. She looked at him when she asked it and he smiled.

"If they have after all these years, I'll laugh. They shouldn't hold a grudge. Yea sure, we stopped them from starting up Team Rocket and recruiting Giovanni but they got away without being caught by the police. They should be happy that after all that, they got away!"

How long had it been since he had set foot in Celadon? Perhaps too long. It was a big city but compared to some of the larger cities in Johto and Kanto, Celadon had a small town feel to it. Perhaps it was the sidewalks, paved in a patchwork style that set it apart from the other cities. Perhaps all the flowers and greenery that made the place smell so much cleaner than the other cities.

He wished he knew why Crystal insisted on going into the Game Corner alone to talk with the guy. He had quite a few questions he would have loved to ask but nope, he was shooed away as Crystal assured him she had everything under control. No biggie, he decided to make a little detour before meeting up with Jasmine at the city fountain.

"You were the last person I expected to see back here," Erika said as she took a few flowers to add to her arrangement. He stared at it for a bit before turning his head away to sneeze.

"What makes you say that? I never said I hated this gym. It did cause my sinuses to act up."

Erika laughed. "Didn't you say you loved this gym because of all the girls?"

"Well...I didn't say that. I did say that I can appreciate grass Pokemon...and yea..."

"So what really brings you here? You haven't stopped by in a while. I take it things are going well," she said as she began to tie some of the flowers together. He laughed.

"Things are going great...I just need your help."

She set down the arrangement. "Hmmm, with what? I hope you aren't still trying to woo every female gym leader you can."

He looked over at Juan, who danced in the water of a small sprinkler. "Well, I kind of stopped doing that. It's not like I had much success either."

She nodded as she began to go to work again. "You were rather...bad at that. I'm just asking because Jasmine seems quite fond of you."

"Really? I wish she'd just tell me that out right. Trying to read her is like trying to solve math problems! It's just so hard!"

"Hmmm, she's not the type to just tell you that. You'd have to see it in her actions."

He shook his head. "That's even tougher. You know her, right? Is there some sort of book or...something I could read that would show me?"

She chuckled. "It'll never be that easy. Trust me. She did tell me she's fond of you but that she thinks someone else is a bit fond of you as well."

"Really? I hadn't noticed that at all."

She laughed. "Then what she said was right. You are a bit clueless."

"I think all these perfumes and scents are getting to your head Erika. I have a clue about things."

She smiled. "Okay, then tell me."

He searched his brain for a good minute or two before shaking his head. He was really bad at thinking things over. "I don't really see anything that could be a clue."

"She said that Crystal was a bit fond of you as well."

"Well...then...that...doesn't explain why Crystal seems okay with Jasmine being around. If she liked me, why does she seem okay with Jasmine being around?"

Erika smiled. "Ask. Or perhaps they don't mind sharing."

"Now my head is beginning to spin. Now I know you're being silly."

"Perhaps I am."

He sighed. "Well...then, do you know some flowers she'd like? I wanted to give her some but I'm not sure which ones she'd like."

Erika nodded. "Well...you came to the right place. Jasmine is fond of the sea and I remember her telling me about some of the flowers that grow near the sea."

"Oh really?"

"Yes but I don't have many of those flowers here. They prefer to grow in their home environment and I prefer to let them grown there instead of disturbing them. Still, if you give her some nice flowers, she'll appreciate the gesture...especially coming from you. Perhaps you can give some to Crystal as well."

"Now we're getting somewhe...are you joking about that one?"

She laughed. "Here, let me show you some flowers she'd like."

They soon had a nice sized bouquet, a full range of colorful flowers, each with their own different scent but together, made a very nice smell. At least it didn't give him a headache. Erika handed it to him. "Here, I think she will really like this."

"Thanks, it looks really nice. I think she will like this."

"She will but you better take good care of her. You're my friend but I'm also her friend and-"

"I won't mistreat her, trust me."

"And you shouldn't forget about Crystal either."

He folded his arms. "Now you're just trying to overbear me with requests."

She smiled. "I'm just saying...you shouldn't neglect your relationship with her either."

He wanted to ask why but felt he had spent enough time in here as is. That and he was beginning to get a headache again. "Okay, I see what you mean. I'll do my best."

"Thanks. Come and visit again when you're in town."

He left the gym with Juan but just as he summoned Juan back to his ball and let Wiggler out, Crystal spoke up. "You really are popular with the girls."

"Ahhh, Crystal! What are you doing here? You didn't follow me or something?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. I was at the Celadon Game Corner like I said I'd be. I just finished getting the information I wanted. I checked with Jasmine at the fountain but she said you had disappeared somewhere. I took a wild guess and thought you'd be in the one place where there would be a bunch of girls."

"Yea but none of those girls in there are interested in-"

"I'm just teasing you. Oh, who are the flowers for? Did Erika help you put that together?"

"Umm...uhhh...yes! She did actually. I wanted to give flowers to...you and Jasmine but I didn't know which ones would be good."

She blushed. "You...w-what?"

Well...hadn't Erika said he shouldn't neglect his relationship with Crystal? Except for the fact that he had intended to give these to Jasmine, opps. He took out some flowers from the bouquet and handed them to her. "Here, I hope you like them."

She took them and covered part of her face with them. "T-t-thanks."

"So...what did you find out from that Team Rocket guy?"

"I...uhh, Team Rocket? Oh yes, him! Well-"

Before she could finish, or at least finish stuttering, his phone buzzed. He rolled his eyes as he pulled it out. "Let me get this real quick. Well...that's strange. It's from Jamie."

"You gave her your number?"

He laughed. "I'm not that stupid! I gave her my email. I can just accept messages from my email."

He scanned the message and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Well...she said that we are to meet by the Lake of Rage, this afternoon. I was supposed to go there this evening but I guess there was a change in plans."

Crystal folded her arms. "Well that's interesting. I wonder what it means."

"Maybe they want to keep me on my toes. Let's go find Jasmine and you can tell us what you learned."

"Ummm...wait. I'll meet up with you guys a bit later."

He and Wiggler exchanged a glance. "Huh, but I thought you said-"

"I know what I said but something has come up. Don't worry, I won't be gone long at all."

She hurried off and he looked at Wiggler. Wiggler let out a confused squeak and he nodded. "Yea, girls are weird. I agree."

Jasmine sat on the edge of the fountain, her Beldum floating nearby in a large circle. To his surprise, no one else seemed to be bothering her. He had almost expected someone to, considering she was a gym leader and all. Well this would just make his job easier. He walked over to her and she noticed him. "Oh...hello Ethan."

"Hey, sorry I took so long. It took a bit longer than I thought but I wanted to present you with these," he said, pulling the flowers from behind his back. Her face lit up as she accepted them.

"Oh...wow, they're beautiful. Did you pick these out yourself?"

He sat down next to her. "Ha, me, flowers? I'd probably pick out some half dying flowers or some that have a bad scent or something like that! I got some help from the local florist."

She put them up to her nose and took a deep breath. "You...mean Erica?"

"Yea, pretty much."

She nodded. "They're very nice. Thank you for them. I...ummm...feel as if I should say or...do something more."

Wiggler let out a squeak but he shot a glare at him. "Huh? Don't even say that!"

"Huh? What did he say?"

He waved her off. "Oh nothing. Wiggler just likes to say silly stuff."

Wiggler turned his attention to her Beldum and began to chase after it. Beldum seemed to notice its pursuer and tried to speed out of Wiggler's reach. This only served to make him more determined to catch it. They watched the two run all around the square and Jasmine laughed. "Or do silly stuff."

"Ahhh, I'm sorry about that. Sometimes he just gets bored and if there are other Pokemon to interact with, you can bet he'll try to satisfy that curious streak of his."

"That's...okay. I think Beldum really likes being out of its ball for once."

"How can you tell?"

She looked at him with a smile. "They're Psychic Pokemon and they can communicate with their minds. Usually it's with other Beldum but if they have a strong bond to their trainer, they can talk that way as well."

"Wow, that's kind of interesting."

She nodded and looked around for the two. He looked down and noticed her hand sticking out. He inched his hand a bit closer. She still seemed a bit distracted by Beldum and Wiggler but not for long as she looked at him again. He pulled back his hand but noticed her blush. "Soo...ahh, where is Crystal?"

"I think she said she had something else to do first. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

"Soo...what made you think of flowers?"

"Oh well...I guess I went the safe route. I wasn't sure of a sure fire gift that would wow you so I figured flowers would work for now. I hope I picked out some good ones."

"Oh they're good! I like them a lot."

He smiled. "That's great! Actually I was kind of hoping that perhaps when we have some spare time, we could go-"

"Oh good! I'm glad to see I didn't have to go chase you down," Crystal said. So much for that idea! He turned to see her walk from behind the fountain and sit next to him. "I...didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"Well..."

"So anyways, I went to the Game Corner like I said and met with Archer."

"Archer? He's connected to the Game Corner?"

She nodded. "He runs it actually. I remember Team Rocket being connected to the Game Corner before so I had to question him about that but so far, he seems to be running a legitimate business. If you can call a casino legitimate but that's another argument."

Ethan nodded. He didn't know what he thought of a former Team Rocket guy being in charge of a casino but if he were truly reformed, more power to him. "So it was Archer. Well at least we know where he went."

"Yep! I asked him about the new Team Rocket and to my surprise, he was pretty candid about it. He isn't connected to it at all and neither are any of the other former executives. He said he did a little investigating and this new Team Rocket seems to be a dummy organization, a front for the group's real intentions, whatever they may be."

"So...he doesn't know their real intentions?" Jasmine asked.

Crystal crossed her legs and shrugged. "That he didn't know but we kind of have an idea about that one. He said this new Team Rocket seems to be connected to a man by the name of Cyrus. And that they have connections to the Sinnoh region."

Ethan frowned. "So a trip to Sinnoh might be in our plans. Great. I heard it's a bit colder up there."

"That's a bad thing? Just pack warmly and you'll be fine."

He laughed. "Yea but I like wearing shorts. Easier to move around in and easier to keep cool."

She sighed. "I think all of us will struggle with that one. I haven't been much to Sinnoh either but getting used to the cooler weather will be interesting. I don't think we have to go there right away but if this new Team Rocket is just a dummy operation, we'll be wasting our time trying to deal with them."


	10. A Boy on the Run

To his annoyance, Jamie didn't seem all that talkative when he arrived at the Lake of Rage that afternoon. When he walked up to her, she seemed a bit nervous, her eyes shifting all around like she expected someone to come up. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him. "Uh, hello."

"Oh...good you're here. I was wondering if you would show."

"You said to be here at this time and I'm here. I don't want to ruin my chance to join Team Rocket."

She nodded. "That's...uh good Alan."

"What's wrong? You seem a bit...worried?"

She sighed. "I'm just so worried. They want us to crash a concert, a live one that is."

"Crash a concert? What for?"

M stepped out of the woods and he turned to him at once. "Yes, you're crashing a concert. It'll be a concert for Stacy Dreams, the famous pop singer. You aren't doing it just to be a bunch of killjoys, there is something there of interest we're looking for and during the concert will be the easiest time to get it."

Ethan nodded. "Okay but what are we after?"

"Well what you're-"

Before M could finish, Ethan could hear a phone go off but it wasn't his. He didn't recognize the ring tone but instead M pulled out his phone and answered it. He looked over at Jamie. "So if we complete this, does this mean I'm part of the gang now?"

"I...don't know but I think so. You'd have to ask M, or perhaps Gerald."

The less time he had to spend with those two, the better. As it seemed, they were his superiors by the looks of it so he'd have to get used to them, unfortunately. "Oh, okay. Well I guess I'll ask them."

M finished up his conversation rather quickly and chuckled to himself as he put the phone away. "Well, looks like a change of plans you two. You aren't going to crash that concert now. Instead you'll be doing something similar to your first task, dealing with a pesky gym leader. Except you won't be confronting her directly."

"I don't follow."

M laughed. "It concerns the gym leader, Jasmine. She has the strongest Pokemon out of all the Johto gym leaders so I really don't expect you two to take her on in a battle. Instead I want you to deal with her so she doesn't trouble us for awhile."

"So...you want us to figure something out."

M nodded. "Yep. Between the two of you, I figure you can figure out something that will keep her occupied and out of our hair."

"I...understand."

"Good. I expect to hear from you two later tonight about your success."

As they walked down the road toward Olivine, a sick feeling grew in his gut. It had been one thing to deal with Roxanne but it was quite another when they asked you to deal with a good friend. At least if he had to face her directly, that'd be one thing but having to be underhanded about it? Not fun. "So Alan...what do you think M means by dealing with her so she doesn't cause trouble. If we aren't taking her on directly, what does he want us to do?"

He looked up at the lighthouse. "Jasmine is a kind gym leader and often cares for an Ampharos that gives light to the lighthouse. She cares for it a lot and when Amphy-I mean Ampharos is hurt or ailing, she becomes real worried and will drop everything to care for it."

Jamie nodded. "So we just...I wonder what we could do to it. Maybe threaten to harm it?"

"It's a pretty powerful Pokemon I think. Even if we threaten it, the Ampharos would turn on us and we'd be in trouble."

"Yea and I don't want that. I'd prefer we avoid hurting it."

"That doesn't sound very Team Rocket."

She frowned. "I...may be with Team Rocket but I'm not cruel like Gerald. I don't see the point in harming Pokemon."

Well that was good, at least. "I see."

"Maybe...we can capture it and take it somewhere. Some place she couldn't get to."

"Well...that could work. It'd have to be somewhere secure."

She nodded. "Yes, we could bring it to the headquarters. We keep it there, safe and tell her that if she tries to cause Team Rocket any more trouble...any...that they will harm the Ampharos. We won't have to go through with it because she'll be too scared to act, right?"

He nodded but that seemed even worse! How could he even go through with that? He looked at her and even she looked a bit unsure about it. "Yea, that would really work."

Did he really want to go through with this? If what Archer had said was true, what was the point of continuing this? He could get out of it and they could go to Sinnoh instead. Then again, who knows if what Archer said was true? He felt her staring at him and turned to look at her. "Are you okay? You seem a bit distant."

"Ahh, I was just thinking about...how we'll subdue that Pokemon."

"It's an electric Pokemon, right? I have a Pokemon that will deal with it, a Gabite. It'll be immune to most of its attacks, saving us a lot of grief."

Jasmine would understand, right? He wanted to say yes but somehow he wasn't sure. What a drag! This undercover stuff was becoming so much harder than he imagined.

They were able to sneak into the lighthouse with ease and avoid some of the trainers that liked to hang out there. Actually, he noticed that there weren't that many trainers today for some reason. He couldn't imagine why. There wasn't anything special going on that day. Well perhaps the Bug Catching Contest but that wasn't super popular with most trainers anyway. "Is it usually this easy to get up here?"

"No, there are usually a bunch of trainers around, willing to challenge anyone who is taking a stroll."

Jamie shook her head. "I can't stand pushy trainers. They seem to think that everyone who has a Pokemon is into battling."

He had to laugh a little at that. "Yea, trainers can be a bit pushy. They're all so competitive. Is Team Rocket like that? Everyone tripping over each other, trying to get ahead?"

Jamie pursed her lips. "Not really. Most of your entry level grunts don't rise any higher than that. The people who are ranked above that...were scouted from the start and expected to serve in that position already. They...usually want the best trainers."

"I see. I guess I might just be a grunt then."

They reached the top floor of the lighthouse and to his relief, Jasmine wasn't around. Amphy slept in the middle of the floor, in it's small room. It lay curled up in a ball, looking peaceful as always. Jamie pulled out an Ultra ball. "Perhaps...we can catch it while it's asleep."

Quick and dirty. Might be for the best. "Well...yea try that first. I'll guard the door just in case anyone shows."

He walked over to the elevator doors and stood nearby. Thanks to the relative quiet, he could hear if the elevator was moving or not. As for now, it hadn't moved. If she were quick, they could capture Amphy and be on their way before anyone was the wiser. "So...would we just leave a note or something explaining the situation?"

"Yea. If she doesn't show, we'll have to-"

Before he could finish, he heard the elevator and lost his train of thought. Drat. They might get to forgo the ransom note. As it rose up the floors, he heard Jamie let out a sigh of relief. "Caught! We were very lucky that it was asleep! Didn't have to attack it or anything."

"Yea but I think Jasmine is coming."

Jamie walked over to him with a confused look. "How do you know it's her?"

"Amphy-I mean the Ampharos is only comfortable around her. She cares for it deeply and often visits it from time to time. So she's really the only person allowed up here."

She raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know her pretty well."

"H-h-huh? Ahh...that's because everyone knows. She's a gym leader, a very public figure and so...everyone knows about her personality and her quirks. Everyone in Olivine already knows-"

"I know all the gym leaders in Sinnoh but not to the extent that you seem to be with Jasmine."

He shook his head. "S-so you don't trust me now or something?"

"I trust you. I just noticed that little detail."

The doors opened and Jasmine stepped out. She gasped when she saw him and Jamie. "W-w-what are you two doing here?"

"W-well, you better listen to us."

"What have you done to Amphy?" She asked, staring straight at Jamie. Jamie held up her hands and smiled.

"A-a-ah nothing...yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ethan cleared his throat and took the Pokeball from Jamie. He held it up and pointed to it. "We have Amphy now. We captured it while it slept. No harm will come to it."

Jasmine shook her head. "I don't believe you. You're Team Rocket, why should I believe you?"

He looked at Jamie but she looked back at him, as if hoping he'd continue. "Because...if you don't do as we say, we will harm the Ampharos."

"Y-y-you'll what?"

Jamie still looked at him as if she had forgotten how to speak. "We'll harm the Ampharos unless you do one thing for us. You promise not to interfere with any of Team Rocket's activities. If you do try to interfere, we'll be forced to harm it but if you just keep to yourself and do whatever a gym leader does, nothing will happen."

"You can't!"

"He will. Listen to Alan, he's serious. We're serious. We don't want you causing trouble for Team Rocket anymore. If you do..."

"No please! You can't take Amphy away! What if she gets sick while in your custody-"

"We'll take care of her. She'll be fine, as long as you do as we say," Jamie said. Jasmine looked at him but he avoided her glance.

"No, I really mean it! You can't take her! I-I promise not to work with them if you'll leave her here!"

"Them?" Ethan asked. Jamie looked at him and nodded. "You mean Ethan and Crystal, right?"

"Y-yes."

Either she really meant that or she was faking it. Probably faking it but if so, she was really doing a great job at it. Jamie seemed a bit moved by it but shook her head a minute later. "No can do. We have our orders, right Alan?"

"Orders are orders."

She grasped his hand but he pulled it away and moved closer to Jamie. "I-I mean it! If you keep trying to stop us, we'll be forced to explain the situation to our bosses and they may see fit to punish the Ampharos now."

Jasmine shot a glare at Jamie, who seem to cower a bit behind him, to make it seem like he had her back. He really didn't want to have her back. Jasmine looked down at the ground. "W-w-why are you doing this?"

"You're...getting in our way. Team Rocket doesn't care for it. If you'd just let us be...things won't have to come to this."

"A-a-and what about Crystal and Ethan?"

Jamie sighed. "They'll be dealt with as well. Come on Alan. We got what we needed."

"You...don't have to do this," she said, looking straight at him this time. And by the look in her eyes, she meant it. Ugh, how could he go through with this? Team Rocket didn't have any real incentive to keep their end of the bargain. They could do whatever they wanted, just as long as she kept her nose out of it.

"A-Alan?" Jamie asked.

"Yea, let's go."

M awaited them back at the hideout near Cliff Edge Gate. When he saw Ethan hold up the Pokeball, a smile formed on his face. He folded his arms as they approached. "So, I take it things went well."

Jamie nodded. "Without a hitch. We ran into the Ampharos as it slept and were able to catch it with ease. We didn't have to use your Pokemon either."

"We were...lucky to run into Jasmine and delivered the threat to her. She tried to bargain and plead but we stood firm."

M clapped his hands. "That's some of the best news I've heard all day. Congratulations, you've passed the second task. I'm impressed. I didn't think you had the chops at first but you have the makings of being a great member of Team Rocket."

"So...what do I have to do next?"

M put his hand on his shoulder. "Glad you asked. Actually I need you to take a little trip to one of our hideouts in Sinnoh. You will be doing a few more tasks out there."

"Sinnoh, really?"

"Yes. You'll be assisting some of our people out there. Should be good."

He tried to stifle a sigh. "So does that mean I'm not a part of Team Rocket yet?"

M laughed. "Actually you'll be joining a different gang out there. They go by the name of Team Galactic."

As far as he was concerned, he was through with Team Rocket, Galactic or whatever their true name was. He wasn't cut out for this villain business. And what if they asked him to betray Jasmine or even Crystal, again? Forget that. He knew he couldn't return to Johto at least. Not until he had figured out how to stop Team Rocket.

The boat pulled into the harbor of a snow covered town. The town was surrounded by snow covered trees, while a thin layer of snow covered everything like a soft blanket. In the center of town, he could see a large Pokemon gym and a bit beyond that, what appeared to be some sort of stone temple. He got off the boat with some of the other recruits but while they and the guy in charge took a left into the nearby woods, he hung back a bit and then darted behind some trees until they left.

After changing out of that stupid outfit, he released Wiggler from its ball and was greeted to a string of angry squeaks. He smiled as Wiggler finished up his whining and he held out his hand. "Sorry, sorry. I know how much you hate being in there but I had to keep you in there. They would have been real suspicious if they saw a trainer with a Wigglytuff."

Wiggler didn't seem satisfied by it and turned away. Ethan sighed. "Oh come on, don't tell me you're going to turn on me as well."

Wiggler still kept his back toward him and Ethan sighed. Even Wiggler didn't want to have anything to do with him. He adjusted his backpack and began to walk toward town when he heard Wiggler let out another squeak. He turned to see the little Pokemon bounce over to him. "Oh, so you're done being angry at me?"

Wiggler let out an amused squeak and he nodded. "Thanks. Where are we? I don't...really know but we're in Sinnoh. I know that for sure. Where are Crystal and Jasmine? Well..."

"Who are you talking to?" A girl asked. He turned around to see a teenage girl standing in the snow, about several yards away. She had short pink hair and wore a bandage on her nose, dressed in a dark blue tank top, matching gloves and a pair of white sweat pants. Just looking at her gave him a bit of a chill, even if it wasn't that cold today. She walked over and he noticed she wasn't even wearing shoes!

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just talking with Wiggler here."

She cocked her head. "Wiggler?"

He laughed. "Is something wrong with Wiggler? I liked it and he liked it too. He also goes by Wiggs or even the Wigg-"

"You named your Pokemon after a videogame character?"

Was there something wrong with that? Hadn't Jamie named her Monferno, Diddy? "You could say that. I didn't really notice that at first but we can go with that. Aren't you cold?"

She shook her head. "This is part of my training. It's ahh...important to train my mind and spirit in the same way my Pokemon do. How can you be an expert in Fighting Pokemon if you're some sort of slouch or couch potato?"

He nodded. "I can't argue there. You and Chuck would get along."

"Ch-Chuck? As in the gym leader? I admire him a lot! For his strength and mental fortitude. I wish I could do some of the things he does like train with his Pokemon and sit underneath a waterfall for hours on end to train."

Ethan laughed. "I find it a bit crazy. I couldn't do it. I'd go nuts just standing around like that. I admire being able to train with your own Pokemon but..."

Wiggler let out a couple of squeaks and Ethan laughed. "Then again, I guess I do train with my Pokemon in some ways. Maybe not sparring with them but in my own...way. Oh, I'm Ethan," he said, holding out his hand.

She grasped it with a firm handshake. "Maylene, leader of the Veilstone City gym. Are you a gym leader as well?"

"No, I'm just a normal trainer. Probably just your everyday trainer that you battle every so often."

"So then what brings you out here?"

"I was just wondering...have you seen any Team Rocket guys around?"

Maylene nodded. "I've seen them around. They've been causing a little trouble but it seems it's just petty stuff. Nothing real big."

He shook his head. "Trust me. They aren't interested in petty crimes. I've been dealing with them for some time and they seem interested in a legendary Pokemon here."

"Wow...really? What Pokemon?"

"Well that I'm not sure of. It's supposed to be connected to some strange stone plates that they've been collecting. That's the only other detail I know."

Maylene folded her arms and thought it over. "That's...interesting. I know! We can go talk to Candice. I'm sure she might know something. She's a real smart gym leader too."

He smiled. "So where is she?"

Maylene pointed toward the snowy town. "Here, in Snowpoint. In fact I was going to visit her anyways, so we can go together."

To his dull surprise, the Snowpoint City Gym had a gym leader specializing in...ice Pokemon. When he stepped in, he felt as if he had walked into an icy wonderland. The trees and homes bordering the edge of the gym, all constructed of ice. A machine blew cold air and fake snow into the area to simulate a snowstorm and he found it a bit much. He looked over at Maylene but she didn't seem bothered by it at all. Then again, she was probably used to it. He watched a couple of trainers walk by, each sporting a defeated look on their faces but before he could inquire any further, he heard a girl yell.

"Whoo! Candice is on fire! Three match winning streak, can anyone stop this blazing inferno!"

Toward the back of the gym, sat atop an ice throne, was the gym leader Candice. She had long black hair, styled in two long ponytails and wore a teal sports jacket and a pleated beige miniskirt of all things. Well actually he wasn't going to complain about it. She had a pair of white and teal striped socks that she wore up to her knees and a pair of beige loafers. Was everyone in Sinnoh that immune to the cold or what?

Candice jumped atop the chair and raised her arm. "Oh hey Maylene! So you brought another challenger for Candice! How about we make it four in a row!"

"Ummm...well actually-"

He held out his hand to stop her. He looked at Wiggler and then at Candice. "Actually...let's have that match! You don't think anyone can match the passion of Candice? Well Ethan can show you a thing or two!"

Candice smiled. "Just how I like it! You understand my passion but we'll see if you can match it! Let's go Weavil!"

She tossed a Pokeball forward, summoning her Weavil to the field. Wiggler hopped forward. He folded his arms as Candice pointed at Wiggler.

"Okay Weavil, let's see if this Wigglytuff can stand up to your powerful Blizzard attack!"

With this fake blizzard going on, that would mean the attack would work all the time and he couldn't have that one. Perhaps if they could...render it inaccurate. "Okay Wiggler, you know what to do! Show off that voice!"

Wiggler opened its mouth but instead of singing a soothing tune that would put Weavil to sleep, out came its deep and soulful song. A powerful tune capable of causing any female Pokemon to fall madly in love with Wiggler. So strong, it could even work on humans sometimes! Weavil stopped in its tracks at the sound of it and he closed his eyes. Please be female, please be female. "Wow, what passion! I never knew a Wigglytuff could sing like that. Hey, Weavil, snap out of it!"

He opened his eyes and noticed the Weavil looking at the Wigglytuff with half open eyes and reddened cheeks. Perhaps it had worked too well. He noticed Candice gather up some snow for a snowball, probably to hit Weavil with to knock it out of its lovesick stance. Well he wasn't going to have that! "Wiggler, Focus Blast. Make sure to knock her out!"

He gathered up a snowball of his own and just as Candice tossed one, he tossed his snowball at hers, knocking it away from Weavil and ensuring that Weavil would get it. Wiggler put its little hands together, forming a blue sphere of energy that it fired at Weavil. The force of the attack not only knocked Weavil back but sent it flying through several ice trees and breaking them in half.

"A one hit KO! Maybe you know a thing or two but I'm not worried in the slightest!"

Candice recalled Weavil and sent out the next Pokemon, a Mamoswine. It stomped its foot as it entered and he laughed. "Ha, the bigger they come, the easier they fall!"

"Ha! Candice thinks you're a bit full of it! Mamoswine, Mind Reader!"

Mind Reader? She would only waste her time with that if she wanted to use a one hit knockout move. He really couldn't have that. Last time he had let Wiggler faint, he didn't hear the end of it for a few days. Wiggler looked at him and he nodded. If she wanted to give him some time for an opening, might as well use it. Her Mamoswine trudged forward and focused its attention on Wiggler, who began to spin its little arm in a circle.

"Focus Punch! Does your Pokemon have the focus to pull it off? Or will it succumb to my powerful ice attack. You better be ready!"

Wiggler let out a squeak before it bounced high into the air. Mamoswine still seemed intent on keeping its attention on Wiggler but even if he changed his mind, the huge Pokemon wouldn't be able to move quick enough to avoid this. Wiggler slammed its tiny fist into the top of Mamoswine's skull. He bounced away as it finished its attack. Mamoswine looked a bit stunned from the blow and then began to lie down on the floor. First it got on its first pair of knees and then the second but as it did that, it slumped on one side, defeated by Wiggler's little fist.

"That's two down Candice! I hope you brought an army because Wiggler is ready to take them all on. Perhaps with a little help from his friends."

He almost thought she could be a bit moved by this performance but she laughed and folded her arms. She really could match his energy. "Ha! I've been in tougher fights than this and if I got through those ones, I can turn the tables on you so you better be ready!"

Just then he heard the doors open. Doors open in the middle of an official battle? Always bad news. He turned to see that it had been Maylene. He was a bit surprised he hadn't noticed her leave but he and Candice had been so wrapped up in their battle, that a car could crash through the side and they still would have found a way to finish it up. "What's up Maylene?"

"Candice! Some of those Team Rocket guys have made their way into the temple! You think they could be after the Pokemon there?"

"W-what? We can't have that! That temple is supposed to be off limits! They think they can be slick? Ha! Let's go Maylene and show them a thing or two!" Candice said, with no concept of an indoor voice. She looked at him and bowed. "I'm sorry Ethan. I really was enjoying the fight but if there is trouble about in Snowpoint, I'm the girl to deal with it!"

"Hold on, hold on! I'm came here to deal with those guys. You'll need all the help you can get and I'm the man for the job!"

"Really? You're after Team Rocket too? And if you can knock out my team in one hit, I think we can use your help. Let's go to the temple and clean them out!" She said.

A few minutes later, they stood outside the large stone temple that sat in the back of the town. The entrance to the temple, bordered by two large stone pillars on either side, one of the pillars breaking down due to age. He whistled at the sight of it and looked at them. "Why is it so big? Is there something in here?"

"Yep! The powerful and legendary golem, Regigigas! He's at least twenty feet tall."

Ethan's jaw fell open. "Twenty? Wow, I haven't seen a Pokemon that big in awhile."

Candice nodded, holding up a fist. "Yes and it's protected Sinnoh for centuries. It's very important that it is allowed to stay here so if those Team Rocket guys are after it, we can't let them get to it!"

Maylene folded her arms. "Shouldn't one of us stay outside? This temple is a maze and if we get lost and all..."

"No, you're absolutely right! We have to let someone stand outside in case they get past us! Ethan, why don't you stand guard since you have the strongest Pokemon out of all of us?"

He smiled. "I can do that. They will be lucky to even come close to the entrance."

A twenty foot golem? How cool was that? He almost wished he could go in and check it out but he refused to leave his post. He had the sneaky feeling that he would eventually catch a glimpse of the powerful golem, just not here. Wiggler waddled around the room, doing its best to avoid stepping on any cracks in the floor. "What do you think Wiggler"

Wiggler let out a squeak and he nodded. He leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Yea, a twenty foot golem! How crazy is that? I really wish I could see it."

Wiggler stopped walking around and let out another squeak.

"Yea, I think we'll get to see it down the line but not here. Man, you make it sound like we won't be able to protect it! We can protect it! There are only a few trainers that could even give me a challenge now. A bunch of Team Rocket grunts will be nothing."

He heard some footsteps but no high pitched chatter which he would expect from Candice. He walked to the entrance of the temple and stood in the middle, barring whoever came though, a nice and quick exit. He heard a familiar roar and his heart began to beat just a bit more as a Salamence crawled out the doorway, followed by Gerald. Of all people, this guy!

"Well well well, isn't this a shock?"

"Gerald...what are you doing here?"

Gerald laughed and patted the head of his dragon. "Isn't it obvious? I came along with my people to capture the legendary Pokemon," he said as he held out a Heavy Ball. "And we succeeded."

Ethan pulled out his other Pokeballs. "Yea yea. Let's see if you can get past my entire party of Pokemon. Your Salamence may be able to take on one of them but a whole party?"

Gerald smile never faded. "Ahhh you have a point there. Salamence is strong but I will admit he can't take on an entire team. That's why I brought a backup plan."

Another Pokemon perhaps? Gerald reached into his coat and pulled out a bunch of Pokeballs. "Each one of these contains an Electrode. All I have to do is let them free and order them all to use Explosion. It will bring down this entire temple, crushing your two little friends, who are still stuck below."

Ethan gritted his teeth. "You...wouldn't."

"I would. I mean sure me and you could get out but I can't promise they'll be okay. Do you want to have that on your hands? Or will you play nice and allow me and my people to exit with the golem in hand? Your choice."

Wiggler let out an outraged squeak and he couldn't blame him. He couldn't let Gerald just walk out of here with the golem but could he let him collapse the temple on Maylene and Candice either? Gerald smiled at him, seemingly enjoy him struggle over his two choices. "Why do you have to do this?"

"I do enjoy seeing you squirm. And what are you doing all the way out here without your two friends?"

Ethan looked away. "I can't go back to them."

"Well, isn't that a shame. So have you made your choice? We don't have all day you know. If you don't make a choice in...a minute, I'll just destroy this place anyways."

"F-f-fine, get out of here!"

Gerald put away the Pokeballs and laughed. "Good choice. Let's get out of here boys!"

Gerald and the three Team Rocket members that had entered the temple, walked past him and outside. He followed them and watched as Gerald mounted his Salamence. "Now, get back to the hideout and don't waste any time!"

Ethan knelt next to Wiggler. "When he lifts into the air, hit him with Aura Sphere. Maybe we can knock that Pokemon free."

Gerald and his Salamence lifted into the air and as it did, Wiggler formed a sphere of blue energy between its little hands before firing it off, the force pushing him back a few feet. The sphere of energy flew toward Gerald and hit the side of his body, causing him to cry out in pain. Something dropped from him as he and the Salamence flew off. Ethan ran down the steps of the temple but slipped on the snow and fell to the ground, a few feet from the ball. He crawled over to it and picked it up. It was indeed a Heavy Ball but did it hold the powerful golem?

"Ethan, Ethan!"

He got to his feet as Candice and Maylene ran up. Candice bent over to catch her breath. "Whoo, that was a bit crazy! That old bald guy trapped us in one of the chambers! Thankfully I was trapped in with Maylene and we were able to break out but by the time we got to the chamber, Regigigas was gone!"

"Did they get away with it?"

Ethan held out the ball. "Well...we're about to find out," he said. He pressed the button to summon whatever was inside and in a flash, the huge golem appeared before them, resting. Wiggler let out a curious squeak and Candice patted him on the back. He summoned it back to the ball and handed it to her.

"Way to go Ethan! How did you get it from them?"

"Well...Gerald, the old guy, threatened to destroy the temple with you guys stuck in there if I didn't let him go. I let him go but when he was flying away, I had Wiggler attack him and he dropped the ball while he flew off. I have a feeling he's going to be furious!"

Candice laughed. "Well that's good but...now what? They got away," Maylene asked.

"We find out about that Pokemon they are after for one."

"And then we ask the other gym leaders if they know or have seen anything! We won't leave any stone untouched until we find those guys and stop them!" Candice said, raising her fist.


	11. The Sinnoh Gang

"So this guy is the official go to guy for Pokemon information in Sinnoh?" He asked as he and Candice entered the small and sleepy town of Sandgem. It didn't take him long to notice just why it had that name as he could see what appeared to be the beginning of a large sandy shore just beyond the trees. Sandgem itself appeared a bit warmer than Snowpoint but much smaller. Outside of Professor Rowan's lab, the Pokemart and the Pokemon Center, there weren't a whole lot of other buildings. It reminded him a bit of Cherrygrove, except that town was much warmer. He took a deep breath and could smell the salty air. He heard Wiggler let out a squeak and he smiled. "You don't like the salty air that much? I think it's nice."

"Yep, Rowan's the guy. He's a pretty cool old guy once you get to know him. Don't be intimidated by him though. He kind of gives off that vibe to people and then they don't want to talk to him," she said in such a quick pace that he found it a bit tough to keep up.

And then there was Candice. This had to be the first time he had met someone who could match his energy and then some. Is this what Jasmine and Crystal had to go through? On one hand, it was cool to hang around with someone so spirited but on the other hand, she was beginning to tire him out! However he was resolved to not let that happen. If she could stay hyper all this time, so could he and if she could bare the cold in an outfit like that, well he could too. "He sounds different from Professor Elm."

"Who?"

He waved her off. "Yea, a lot of people say that as well. He's the Professor in the Johto region but he's overshadowed by Professor Oak."

She laughed. "Well no one overshadows Professor Rowan! Even the Champion often comes to talk with him about stuff in Sinnoh."

He raised an eyebrow. "The Champion? Who's the Champion here?"

"Cynthia! She's the strongest there is. She's known for her powerful Garchomp and the mystical Togekiss. I bet she could probably beat you in a battle, if you can beat all of the gyms here and get through the Pokemon League tournament."

He smiled and stroked his chin. "I wouldn't mind entering that if I got the time. I'd love to try taking on some new faces for once. It gets a bit tiring facing the same people."

"Well if we can clear out these silly Team Rocket guys, you'll have a chance. I for one would love to get a rematch with you. I'm sure my Pokemon will have some more training in and be ready for you!"

He puffed out his chest. "You got your work cut out for you then! Just because you've been training, doesn't mean I just stopped to take it easy! My Pokemon will be even tougher so that means you'll have even more ground to cover!"

Candice laughed and leaned forward, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh ho, I'm more than prepared! A gym leader is prepared to take on any challenger and accepts will not be tolerated. I noticed that you don't run with much of a strategy except overpower everything. I'll make sure to expose that strategy and there's nothing you can do about it."

Ethan smiled back at her. "No need to run with a strategy when my Pokemon can sneeze and knock your Pokemon out, now is there? I didn't rise to the finals by just running with that strategy and I'll show you."

"I bet you that it's been so long since you fought someone with skill, that you even forgot what strategy you had! What I'll do is beat you so badly that it will make you remember whatever lame strategies you had."

"Actually by the time your Pokemon get a move off, I would have remembered how to battle because a few weeks would have passed."

"My Pokemon are slow? My Pokemon? Wait until they get just a little stronger, your Pokemon won't even have the chance to sing its off tune song as it gets knocked out."

"Off tune? I trained with Wigger for days to work on his tune. You just can't appreciate the fine arts."

Candice shook her head. "Fine arts? Fine arts? I can tell you about the fine arts but your Wigglytuff singing is not one of them! That's one of those fine arts you see in a museum and spend two hours looking at it and trying to figure out what it is."

He suddenly felt as if someone was watching them and he turned to see a young man standing a few feet away, arms folded across his chest. He had short dark hair and wore a red flat cap and wore a large white scientist jacket with a few large pockets. He had a notepad and pen in hand but looked up when he noticed they had noticed him. "Oh, don't mind me. I was unsure if I needed to ask if things were okay or to tell you two to get a room so I decided to just wait."

Candice laughed. "Get a room? You're pretty funny."

"Well what else am I supposed to do when I find two people in a large shouting match in front of Professor Rowan's office?"

Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Well...ummm, I take it you aren't Professor Rowan. We need to speak with him about something. My name is Ethan and I'm sure you're familiar with Candice."

The guy put away his notepad and nodded. "Yes. My name is Lucas but I'm afraid Rowan is feeling a bit under the weather so I'm filling in for him. What can I help you with?"

Ethan and Candice shared a look of concern but then she shook her head and smiled. "It should be okay! Lucas, we were wondering if you knew anything about a legendary Pokemon connected to some...plates?"

"Yea, stone plates. I had heard that the new Team Rocket were interested in a Pokemon like that and I was hoping the Professor might know."

Lucas pursed his lips. "A Pokemon connected to stone plates? Well...that's interesting."

"Interesting as in you don't know a thing about it?"

He laughed. "Not really. I was just reading a little on some mysterious strange plates scattered here and there. It was in some texts that Cynthia, the Champion discovered. I was just looking into it out of curiousity."

"So do they mention the Pokemon?"

He shook his head. "I haven't gotten that far. Perhaps we should check it out and see if it mentions a Pokemon. I'm sure it would."

Ethan smiled. "That's great! Hopefully we can learn something."

Professor Rowan's office was a large room, bordered on almost all sides by towering bookshelves, filled with books or even folders stuffed to the brim with papers. His desk with the computer sat in the middle of the room, a small oasis from the sea of books and papers. The air in the office was a bit stuffy, thanks to only one small window, covered in cobwebs. He noticed the trashcan had quite a few candy wrappers in it and he flashed a mischievous looking smile at Lucas. "Got a bit of a sweet tooth?"

Lucas looked a bit puzzled and then looked down at the trash can. "Oh, that isn't me! The professor has a bit of a sweet tooth and often enjoys eating some candy while he's doing some research."

"Whoo! It's stuffy in here! I'm about to get clauspro-"

"Claustrophobia. And it is a bit stuffy in here. Any chance we could open a window?"

"Or the door," Candice added with a smile. Lucas shook his head, an amused look on his face.

"You two are hopeless. I see your point though."

He got up from the desk and walked over to the window. He grabbed some blank papers and swept away the webs before opening the window. He looked back at them and sighed. "That's better."

"So, the book I had been reading about is on the desk here. It talks all about the plates and the legend inscribed on the back of them."

"L-legend? I've had my hands on a few of those and I never saw anything like that."

Lucas walked back over to the desk and opened the large green book that sat on the edge. He flipped through the pages until he stopped almost a fourth of the way in. "Right...here. It mentions exposing the back to fire to get the words to appear."

Wiggler let out a squeak and he raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I never thought of doing that."

"So what does this legend talk about?"

Lucas stood up straight. "Well it's a bit long but it seems to talk about the myth surrounding the creation of this very universe. One of the verses refers to the Original One but I'm not sure who or what that could be."

"Are there any hints in there? I mean, what's the point of mentioning it if they don't bother explaining what it is?" Candice asked.

"Well, there's still a lot of the book to study. I'm sure we could find something out."

Ethan looked at how much of the book they had left and he sighed. "I hope you realize how much of that book you haven't read! If we tried to get through that, we'd be here for weeks! I don't think Team Rocket will let us have that time."

"It shouldn't take us that long! I hope."

"Why not just turn to the back?"

"What?"

Ethan shrugged. "Well if it's like most books, usually you can turn to the back and-"

"That's for fictional books!" Lucas said. He frowned. "Though...I could check the last chapter and see if it has something in the conclusion."

He flipped toward the back of the book and began to read over the pages. Ethan sat down on the floor since there weren't any other chairs around or they were covered in papers and he couldn't see them. "So you said Cynthia led you to this? Have you thought about asking her?" Candice asked.

"I...have thought about it but I just got so interested in this book that I didn't bother. That and had I known that Team Rocket was after a Pokemon that might be connected to these plates, I would have bothered."

"That's true. It doesn't seem like too many people know about them here. I guess they've been pretty careful."

Candice laughed. "They've been up to petty crimes. Annoyances for sure but nothing for us to get really worried about."

Ethan nodded. "When you put it that way-"

"Hold up! I think I may have found something! It appears to be just a name but it's a start," Lucas said. Ethan jumped to his feet, only to slip on some of the papers and fall to the ground, eliciting a laugh from Candice. "I'll make sure to clean this place up. Now, the name of the Pokemon is Arceus. It is said to be the creator of not just Pokemon but the entire world."

Ethan forgot his momentary pain and looked at Candice and then at Lucas. "So...Team Rocket is after the Pokemon God?"

"Or something like it. It also mentions Arceus creating a few other legendary Pokemon but it doesn't go on to say what they were except being masters of time and space. And then there is another trio that created free will, emotion and knowledge."

"Wow. If anyone got their hands on those Pokemon, they could really do some things."

"How would they even capture them?"

Candice laughed again. "They were able to capture Regigigas, right? Perhaps they have some sort of Pokeball that allows them to capture them."

Lucas closed the book. "I think we need to go see Cynthia. She might know more about it or perhaps where we can find it."

Ethan smiled. Finally they were getting somewhere, at least. "So where is she?"

"Well, she often spends time in Celestic Town where her family lives so that's our best bet. If she isn't there, I guess we'll just have to ask them," Lucas said.

Hidden in the mountains, Celestic Town reminded him a bit of Blackthorne. It was a quiet and secluded town, home to individuals that had some sort of ancient knowledge that had been forgotten by most other people. At least that's what it seemed like. Many of homes sat around a small lake, where a small cave lay. Ethan and Wiggler stood just outside the cave and he peeked inside. "Could you hold off on that for a minute? I need to ask if Cynthia is around," Lucas said. He looked up at him and Candice.

"Sure but what's wrong with taking a peek?"

Lucas laughed. "I'm not sure the locals would appreciate strangers poking around that cave. There are some important carvings in there that they protect with fierce devotion. Until we explain ourselves-"

"Yea, yea. I'll just wait out here."

He leaned against the wall of the cave and looked at Wiggler. "Kind of annoying. I mean it's not like we're going to mess up the carvings or what not. I just wanted to see them."

"Actually if you're interested in learning more about some of the Sinnoh legends, I'd love to have a willing ear," a woman's voice said from inside the cave. He jumped in surprise as a woman with long blond hair stepped out of the cave. Part of her hair covered some of her face and she wore an elegant black outfit. It didn't look like something one would wear for spelunking but what did he know? She smiled at him and held out her hand. "My name is Cynthia."

"Ummm...oh, my name is Ethan! So uh what legends were you talking about."

"It concerns the drawings in this cave. They are said to be connected to three legendary beings. I think they are talking about three legendary Pokemon here."

Ethan nodded. "Really?"

Cynthia nodded and stepped back inside. He followed her but as he walked through the entrance, he heard a low growl. He turned to see a Garchomp standing guard just inside and Wigger let out a frightened squeak. "Oh don't mind her. She's with me, she's just being protective."

He began to relax and followed her to the back of the cave where some old drawings lay on the back wall. It consisted of three beings surrounding a large white circle in the middle. She raised her hand to the wall. "So what do these three beings represent?"

"Well, I've been doing a little research on it myself and I have two theories. The most popular one is that it represents the three mysterious Pokemon in Sinnoh, Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit. They represent free will, emotion and knowledge. It is said that they introduced those concepts to this world when it was created, or so the legend says."

He stared at the drawings and shook his head. "That's a bit hard to believe. These three Pokemon gave us free will, emotion and knowledge?"

"It is been noted that in the scant interactions with humans, they have shown the ability to take away the very thing they represent. For example, Mesprit which is for emotion, has been able to sap all the emotion out of someone if they mess with it."

Wiggler let out a squeak and his eyes grew wide. "Sap the emotion out of you? So you become some sort of robot?"

She smiled. "Something like that. It's pretty terrifying when you think about it."

"But what about the white circle in the center? Does it represent the world?"

She pursed her lips. "And that leads to my second theory. While many think the three beings represent the Spirit trio, I think it could represent another trio of beings. Palkia, Dialga and Giratina. One has the power of time, the other the power of space and then the last representing antimatter."

"So they can control time and space? What's so great about the last one? Antimatter."

"I'm not sure really. I believe it just serves as a balance with our world, which is made up of positive manner. If one of the worlds is tampered with or destroyed, things would become chaotic and out of balance. That's my theory, there still doesn't seem to be a lot of information about antimatter."

He leaned against the side of the wall. "And would the circle in the middle maybe represent...Arceus."

She smiled. "Ahhh so you've heard about him. I do think that's a possibility, since the legend engraved on the back of the mysterious stone plates said that these three were created by the Original One. Since Arceus is considered to be the creator of this world, it makes sense that he'd be the one who created the others."

"It'd be trouble if Team Rocket got their hands on Arceus?"

"Team Rocket? You mean that little gang of troublemakers?"

He nodded. "Yea, they might be after Arceus but I'm not really sure. I tried to find out what they were up to but I couldn't learn anything."

Cynthia folded her arms. "I had thought they were just a small time gang."

"I'm sure that's how they want to appear but I've dealt with them and they're serious, about whatever they're up to. They've tried to do me and my friends in multiple times. One of their executives is a man by the name of Gerald, who only seems interested in sicing his Salamence on anyone who angers him."

"Even if they were after Arceus, no one has seen it. I think there have been a few scattered incidents where people thought they saw something that looked like it but nothing concrete."

He laughed. "So what you're saying is that we shouldn't have to worry too much."

"I wouldn't say that but it'll be pretty hard for them to find it. From what I've read, Arceus prefers to be alone and if it hasn't really been seen before, I'd say it's very good at staying away from human contact."

Well that was a relief. "I guess that makes our job a lot easier, huh Wiggler?"

"Well...there might be one way they could draw Arceus out. Let's get out of this cave first."

When they stepped out, they found Lucas and Candice waiting for them outside. Candice smiled at Cynthia. "Oh hey Cynthia! Long time no see! How are things at the Pokemon League."

Cynthia sighed. "Oh, it's getting a bit boring. There haven't been any worthwhile challengers in a while. There have been some but they get as far as Flint and that's the end of that."

"Ha. Well Ethan here was thinking of challenging the Sinnoh League."

He laughed. "That's the plan, you can bet-"

"Pretty bold to make that claim when you haven't even beat the Champion in your own region," Cynthia said.

Ouch is all he could think but since when was he one to back down from a challenge? "Bold but I'm willing to do it. Just once we take care of this pesky Team Rocket problem."

Cynthia laughed. "I like it! Maybe you'll be the trainer to provide me with an entertaining match!"

Lucas cleared his throat. "Also glad to see your doing well Ms. Champion."

"You don't have to call me that. You're Professor Rowan's assistant, Lucas, right? I've heard quite a few good things about you."

"Thanks. I'm just filling in for the Professor while he's under the weather."

Cynthia frowned. "I hope it isn't anything serious."

Lucas shook his head. "No, thankfully. He'll be okay. Probably just whatever illness that has been going around. He should be up and at them in no time."

All this chit chat was nice and all but he still wanted to know what Cynthia had hinted at. If she knew of a possible ploy they could try to get Arceus, he wanted to hear it! "Well...I hate to be rude and all but Cynthia, you said you knew of a way that Team Rocket could get to Arceus. Well, I'd love to hear it!"

"Straight and to the point. I like that. Well my theory is that since Arceus is so elusive, the only thing they could try to do in drawing it out, is trying to change the world altogether."

"Changing it...so would they try controlling Palkia and Dialgia?"

Cynthia shrugged. "Why stop there? Why not try to gain control of nearly all of the legendary Pokemon in Sinnoh? That would give them enough power to actually shape the world however they'd like. Or if their goal was to draw Arceus out, trying to alter the world might do the trick."

Ethan grumbled. "So...we have to protect all those Pokemon?"

"Something like that. If Team Rocket is after them, preventing them from capturing them would be our best bet."

Candice laughed. "Why are you so worried? Didn't we succeed in protecting Regigigas? This should be a bit easier. We don't have to explore a large temple to get to them or anything. Most of them live in small, single room caves."

"Well that's true but what about Palkia and Dialgia? They don't neccesarily live in this world but their own worlds," Lucas said. Cynthia chuckled and they all looked at her.

"And it'll stay that way so long as Team Rocket doesn't find the two orbs that can draw them out."

Ethan nodded. "So...we just have to make sure they don't find those orbs and that will take care of those two?"

"Yea but where are they?" Lucas asked.

Cynthia smiled. "I'll take care of them. You three just make sure the Spirit trio are safe. If we do that, we should be good."

Candice laughed. "Good. Well that means I will check up on Uxie since it's close to Snowpoint City."

Lucas folded his arms. "Then I'll go to Lake Verity since it's close to the lab. I guess that would leave Lake Valor to you Ethan."

"Yea but...where is Lake Valor?"

Lucas reached into his backpack and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. "Here's a map of Sinnoh. It has all the cities and major landmarks marked on there, like the lakes. I don't really need it since I'm familiar with the region but I'm sure you can put it to good use."

Ethan took it and nodded. "Thanks. I'll make sure to protect the legendary Pokemon there."

Lake Valor, according to the map, lay south of a city called Veilstone and west of Sunnyshore. As they walked along the route, Wiggler let out a few squeaks. "What? You miss who?"

He looked down at Wiggler, as he let out a few more squeaks. "Oh...you miss them. Yea, it's kind of not the same without them around. I guess-"

Before he could finish, Wiggler let out a few more squeaks. "I'm what? Blowing things out of proportion? You're crazy! You know how much Amphy means to her and not only did I kidnap her but I threatened to harm her if she opposed Team Rocket. That's pretty bad."

Wiggler seemed to disagree as he let out a few more squeaks. "When am I going to go back to Johto? I don't know really. Perhaps when this is all over with. Maybe."

That didn't make Wiggler happy as he let out a few angry squeaks. "I'm not scared! I just don't think I should show my face for awhile, that's all. Scared? Come on now, why would I be scared?"

They finally reached Lake Valor, a good sized lake surrounded by one of the many forests that seemed to cover Sinnoh. In the water he could see quite a few Magikarp swimming around, some of them looking up at him and Wiggler with a worried look on their faces. Wiggler made a couple of funny faces at them and that caused the fish to swim away from where they stood. He laughed for a bit before shaking his head. "Come on Wiggler, cut it out. What if there is a Gyrados hiding in there? It might get angry that you're causing a panic."

Wiggler let out a few amused squeaks and Ethan folded his arms. "Yea yea, I know how strong you are but you think you can handle an angry Gyrados?"

He looked up and in the middle of the lake, he could see a small island where the cave lay. He pulled out the Pokeball holding Juan and summoned him. Juan let out a quack and looked at him. "Juan, get me out to that island real quick. It's a bit urgent."

When he arrived at the entrance to the cave, he could hear a Pokemon inside let out a cry. It didn't sound like a cry of pain but a bit of a warning. He looked at Wiggler. "You better go in first and convince it that we mean no harm."

Wiggler let out a squeak before going inside. He leaned against the side of the cave and looked up at the sky. From what he had heard, this Pokemon was Azelf, representing willpower. If it was true that Azelf could remove the willpower from anyone who bothered it, he really didn't want to start off on the wrong foot. Inside he could hear Wiggler's near constant squeaks, probably doing its best to explain the situation. Wiggler was pretty smart, he could do the job. He turned his attention back to shore and noticed someone standing at the edge of the shore. Actually more than one but a few people. They all wore Team Rocket uniforms by the looks of it but it was hard to make out anything else beyond that. Just then he heard Wiggler let out a squeak. "H-huh? It understands what we're trying to do? That's...great but we got other issues right now."

"Well well, I wasn't expecting to find you here, of all people. At least we know Azelf is inside."

Ethan shook his head. "So you guys are after Azelf? Well that's not going to happen while I'm here! For once, I'm one step ahead of you!"

He could hear one of them laugh. "Oh really? You think you're so smart since you're already there with the Pokemon? I have a surprise for you!"

Should he call their bluff? "Bring it! Me and my Pokemon can handle anything you throw at us!"

He could count at least three, no perhaps four people on the other side. Even with that many, his Pokemon were more than strong enough to handle a crowd of much weaker Pokemon. From what he remembered in his time with Team Rocket, all the grunts had Pokemon much weaker than his. They might have had strength in numbers but between Aries and Wiggler, four on two might be lopsided in his favor, still! He felt good about his chances.

"Since you're so tough, I got a question for you. Do you care for the Pokemon in this lake?"

"Of course I do! Pokemon are Pokemon, we should always treat them with kindness and respect. The Pokemon here are just living their lives and I don't see any reason to bother them."

"You have a caring heart...too caring. How would you feel if we added a little something something to the water?"

"Some what?"

"Poison."

He made a fist with his hand. "Did you just say...did you just say poison?"

"Pretty sure I did. How would you feel if I just dumped these few vials of poison into the water? Hope you have a net because you'll be fishing dead Magikarp out for the rest of the day!"

He shook his head. "Poison, you can't be serious!"

"I am. Though if you're kind enough to let us take Azelf, we can be on our way and no harm has to come to these Pokemon."

Ethan looked back at Wiggler, who stood just outside the entrance to the cave. He could let them take Azelf but what good would that do if they were able to draw Arceus out of hiding? Then what? He folded his arms. Let them take Azelf and save the Pokemon or refuse to let them take Azelf and watch a bunch of Pokemon get poisoned? "Do it. I'm not moving from my spot."

He could hear laughter echo over the water. "Do it? You want me to poison all of these Pokemon? You realize this is poison, right? That means once I drop it in, it's going to spread throughout the water in time and kill them all."

"I know what it is but I'm not letting you take Azelf. It's going to be much worse if you take Azelf than if you poison this lake."

"You are crazy! I guess you're going to have to sit there and watch all those Magikarp twist and writhe before floating to the top of the water, their bodies in view of any trainers willing to visit."

Just the thought of it made him sick but he shook his head. "Then do it. You're Team Rocket, right? You guys are used to doing cruel things like this...so do it! Even if you poison the water, I'm still not going to let you take Azelf! What's wrong...are you scared you guys can't take me on in a battle? It's four on one, right? You guys should have the upper hand!"

He expected them to respond back with another remark, reminding him of the consequences of allowing them to poison the lake but instead there was silence. He wished he had a pair of binoculars to see what was going on but...he knew for sure that they hadn't been prepared for him to do this. He heard Wiggler squeak a suggestion and he glanced over at him. "Huh? Yes, I'm not bluffing. If they want to be jerks about it, so can I. They won't get a hand on Azelf."

Wiggler let out a couple more squeaks and he smiled. "Yea, I don't think they expected me to do it. I'm going to hate myself for it but...that gives me even a better idea! Hey, can you tell Azelf to run away? That would make it even tougher for them to catch it."

Wiggler let out a squeak of surprise but he gave him a thumbs up. "Just do it if you can! We can't always stay here and protect it so this will make it tougher for them to capture it."

Wiggler waddled back into the cave and Ethan turned his attention back to Team Rocket. "So...what are you waiting for? I thought you were Team Rocket! Have you guys gone soft or something?"

Still nothing. They must have really been thrown for a loop. Or they were administering the poison but either way, he wasn't letting them get Azelf. He poked his head inside the cave and noticed only Wiggler stood around. "Huh, where is Azelf?"

Wiggler let out an amused squeak. "Oh, it left already? That's great! It must have understood then. They're really going to be mad now!"

Wiggler let out a curious squeak. "Let them know? No need for that! They'll figure it out on their own once we leave."

He turned his attention back to the edge of the lake, in time to see they had left. "Gone? They just...left. Well that works out too I suppose."

Wiggler let out a squeak. "Yea, I guess we might as well check on the others. Lucas is the closest so let's go there first."


	12. Confrontation on Mount Coronet

"You know, something was bugging me about this," Lucas said as they stood on the edge of Lake Verity. He folded his arms and looked across the water. "They didn't see all that bummed about missing out."

"So it was the same for you as well?"

"Well I didn't call their bluff but they did try to bargain with me. Once they saw that I wasn't in the bargaining mood, they sure seemed pretty cavalier about leaving without it."

"Well...that's interesting. I wonder what it means?"

Lucas shook his head. "I don't know but it sounds odd."

Ethan frowned. Now how would Crystal tackle this? She was always the one with the big ideas, the plans and boy could he use her brain now. "Well...did you notice anything else odd?"

Lucas furrowed his brow. "Well...now that I think about it...I did notice something. Mesprit seemed to be missing the red gems in its tail. I didn't notice it at first but it seemed to be in pain and when I took a closer look, I noticed they were gone!"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Do all of them have that?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes."

He looked at Wiggler. "Hey Wiggler, did you notice if Azelf was missing some red gems in its tail?"

Wiggler didn't answer for a bit but soon let out a few squeaks and he sighed. "So Azelf was missing its gems as well. That's not good, I'm guessing. Do you know what they're for?"

Lucas shrugged. "I don't know offhand but I can look it up. I think the professor has some books on the Lake guardians. I could go look that up."

Ethan smiled. "That's great. I'm going to Snowpoint and check up on Candice. We need to see if she's okay."

Lucas held up his phone. "Well you have my number. Call me if anything changes or I'll call you once I learn something."

Back in Snowpoint, Wiggler let out a few annoyed squeaks as they walk west from the city and into the snow fields. Ethan laughed. "Yea yea, I know you hate the snow. It's just something we have to get used to."

Wiggler bounced from grassy patch to grassy patch, while letting out a few more squeaks. "What? How would I handle the group if Crystal and Jasmine were helping us? What kind of question is that?"

Wiggler looked at him and fired a few angry squeaks off. "What? I already told you that I can't go back. First we have to deal with Team Rocket and then maybe by then I can go back. I already told you that-"

It seemed that Wiggler would not drop the issue. "You think I'm just making things worse by dropping out of sight? Well...that may be so but what do you expect me to do now?"

Wiggler ignored him and kept bouncing along. He frowned. He didn't want to admit it but Wiggler was probably right. At the very least, he could call them up and explain what had happened. It might not be as good as a face to face meeting but it couldn't hurt. He pulled out his phone and began to dial Jasmine's number but only getting halfway before his thumb refused to budge. Try as he could, he couldn't muster the courage to finish. He let out a sigh before deleting it and calling up Crystal instead.

"Hello?"

"Uh...hey Crystal, this is...uh Ethan."

"Ahhh Ethan. It's been a little while since you got in touch. Are you still with Team Rocket? That was my guess as to why you haven't been able to get back in touch."

He could hear Wiggler let out an amused squeak. "Uhhh...ahh yea...about that. I'm actually not a part of Team Rocket anymore."

"You aren't? Then what happened to you?"

"I'm in Sinnoh. I was headed there anyway with Team Rocket to start serving out there in some capacity but after having to kidnap Amphy in front of Jasmine, I felt I couldn't stomach being a part of them anymore and left. I just snuck off."

"You had to do that? Were you able to steal Amphy back?"

"No. So they still have her and can threaten to harm her if Jasmine tries to defy Team Rocket. I'm sure they would have found a way to do the same with you."

"Then...well you know she's not going to help if they have her. I wish you had tried to steal Amphy back-"

"I know."

"So then...what are you doing now?"

"Well...I'm still going after Team Rocket. I'm working with some gym leaders, along with the de facto professor and even the Champion."

He could hear her sigh. "Kicking us to the curb?"

"What? No, no way! I'm just...well I'm not trying to kick you to the curb but I'm just saying that with everyone here helping out, perhaps you could clean out Team Rocket in Johto? I mean it's going to be a bit awkward telling everyone here that they can't help out especially when this is their own region-"

Before he could finish, Wiggler began to let out a fury of frightened squeaks and he let out a groan. "Ahh sorry Crystal but something has come up. I'll keep you informed of how things are going."

"I...okay. Please be careful and I'll do what I can here."

He got off the phone and followed Wiggler. "Man what is it now? I hope things haven't gotten any worse."

They came to the bottom of a steep snow covered hill and as he looked up, he saw Candice pushed off the top of the hill. Wiggler let out a squeak and he positioned himself where she would land. "Don't worry Candice, I got you!"

Wiggler let out another squeak. "What? What do you mean it's not going to be that easy to catch-"

He found out that Wiggler was right. He caught her but since she had fallen from a decent height, her momentum knocked him to ground as soon as he caught her, his head bouncing off the ground, knocking him out.

He came to some time later, a painful headache greeting him as he awoke. He found Wiggler sat atop his stomach and Candice looking down at him. "Whoa, you're okay!"

He winced as he sat up. "Yea, I think. Wow...my head. I guess catching someone from that height is a lot harder than I thought."

Candice blushed a little. "I-I think you saved my life back there. Thanks, I really appreciate it," she said as she held out her hand. Wiggler rolled off his stomach as he grasped her hand.

"Don't worry about it," he said as he pulled himself up. He found it a bit hard to stand straight and had to steady himself to not fall. Wiggler let out a squeak but he laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine, I think I just need to rest. So, Candice, why did you take a flying leap off that hill?"

She laughed. "I'm not that adventerous you know! Well...I ran into Team Rocket while I was checking up on Uxie. They demanded I step away so they could extract the gems from its tail. I wasn't about to let that happen but they had other ideas."

"They didn't beat your team, right?"

Candice gave a nervous laugh and he and Wiggler exchanged a look. "Well...they did! Actually it was one guy and his Salamence. I knew I had the upper hand since I'm the Master of Ice Pokemon but that dragon was stronger than I thought!"

Ethan made a fist. "Gerald."

"That's his name? Well he's a brute! He crushed my entire team, I couldn't believe it! They chased me out while they took the gems out of Uxie's tail. That made me so mad! After that, Gerald chased me from the lake and then shoved me off that hill."

"Wow...I'm shocked he didn't try to finish the job. He's that kind of jerk."

Wiggler let out a squeak and Candice laughed. "I think he wanted to! He noticed that you had caught me and he really seemed interested in sending his Salamence after us but Wiggler stood in the way. He refused to let that dragon past."

"What? Gerald's Salamence actually backed down? That's the first time I've even seen that!"

She laughed. "That dragon did its best to get through but Wiggler matched him blow for blow. Gerald seemed really annoyed about it but they had to leave after a bit."

"Well that's Wiggler for you. He won't back down from a challenge. Thanks for that," he said. Wiggler let out a squeak of joy and then he turned his attention back to Candice. "It's too bad they got away with those gems."

She put her hands on her hips. "Did they take the gems from the other two guardians?"

"Yep, though it seemed they had already been removed by the time we got there. Me and Lucas were both too late."

"Well that stinks! We did all that work and to find out that they were one step ahead of us!"

"Let's...just get back to Sandgem and talk with Lucas. He was looking up some information about the Lake Guardians and those gems they have. Perhaps he'll find something out so we can know why they took those gems."

He tried to walk forward but it seemed as if the whole area began to spin and he stumbled forward before she caught him. "Watch it there! You still haven't recovered from that hit on the head!"

Lucas chuckled a bit as Ethan relaxed in the makeshift bed he had made of books in the office. "So how are you feeling?"

Ethan waved him off. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. The pain will go away eventually."

"Whew, that's good to know!" Candice said. Lucas cleared his throat and Ethan smiled.

"So I'm guessing you found out something for us, right?"

"Well after a bit of checking, I did learn something. All of those gems were once used to make something called the Red Chain. The chain was used to control the masters of time and space, Dialgia and Palkia. It was said that while under the control of whoever has the chain, the two Pokemon can only be stopped by the Original One."

"You mean they're unbeatable? That's crazy!"

Ethan frowned. "That'll be real bad if they were able to create that. So there really is no chance to beat them?"

"If we could somehow find Arceus, not really. Even the legendary trio might not be strong enough to stop them."

Ethan laughed. "Don't be such a Debbie Downer. If the legendary trio can't stop them, perhaps with us behind them, it might be enough."

"I appreciate your optimism but you really think that'd be enough? We're talking about two Pokemon who can control time and space. Time and space!"

Candice laughed. "I think he realizes that but I see his point! I mean if it's him, me, Maylene and perhaps Cynthia, that's a pretty tough group. Cynthia's the Champ and he's like..."

"Well as of now...I'm the de facto Champion since the previous one resigned. Either way, that's two gym leaders and two people at or close to the level of Pokemon Champion. That should give us plenty of strength."

Lucas nodded. "I see your point. I just hope-"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door and he looked up at it. The door opened a bit and Maylene poked her head in. "I hope I'm not interrupting-"

"Oh hey May! You're just in time. Come on in."

Maylene stepped in and glanced at him. "W-what happened to you?"

Wiggler let out an amused squeak and he sighed. "Well...I discovered catching someone from a decent height isn't as easy as the movies portray it."

"Huh?" She asked.

"It means he got knocked out trying to catch me from a little fall," Candice said. Lucas folded his arms.

"You know, that brings something else to mind-"

"That I should stop watching too many movies?"

"No! I mean...how is Cynthia doing? She went to go get those orbs but we haven't heard a thing from her. I hope everything went okay."

"Does one of you have her number? Perhaps we can call and see if things are going okay. I mean she is the Champ but it can't hurt to check," Ethan said with a shrug. He looked at all of them and Candice nodded.

"I have her number. I'll give her a call."

Ethan nodded and sat up. Of everyone here, he figured that at least she would have succeeded. If even Cynthia had failed, they would really be in some trouble. Candice frowned a bit and set it down after a bit. "What's up?"

"She isn't answering. I wonder if she's busy or something."

"Yea or-"

"Hey, Lucas, none of that depressing talk, okay? I'm sure she's fine, just busy. I'm just unsure of what we can do in the meantime."

"Maybe search for Team Rocket? Put a stop to their plans?" Candice asked. "Well I guess that's a bit vague and all."

"Huh? I didn't say anything. I don't think it's a bad idea at all. I just wish I knew where we could look."

Lucas laughed. "Well if anything, I'd expect their hideout to be somewhere in Mount Coronet. It's the biggest mountain in Sinnoh and home to more caves than you can shake a stick at. It seems almost every other day they're discovering a new cave system under there."

"Between the three of us, that should cover a lot of ground. It's too bad you got hurt," Candice said toward him.

"Yea well...getting hurt while dealing with Team Rocket has become a way of life for me. They like to play rough. You just have to deal with them, that's all."

By the next day, while his head felt better, their hopes of finding Team Rocket's hideout went south. Candice, Maylene and Lucas all reporting having no luck in finding a hideout, much to his chagrin. It made it even worse that he had been stuck recovering from the blow to his head then being out there, trying to find those guys. He stood outside the Sandgem lab, staring up at the sky as he listened to Lucas give his report. "So that's how it is."

Candice brushed back her hair. "And I still haven't been able to get in contact with Cynthia. I don't think someone can be that busy!"

Maylene shrugged. "So..."

"Well I guess we'll just forget about Mount Coronet for now. I mean we could continue looking but why bother? Since I wasn't about to go out, I was looking at the map that Lucas gave me and I thought of some places they might hide," Ethan said. "I can't tell you how bored out of my mind I was."

"Really? So what do you think?" Lucas asked. He looked over at him and nodded.

"Well...umm...Maylene, do you know anything about that building in Veilstone that is the Team Galactic HQ?"

"Well, Team Galactic is committed to the furthering of space exploration. They have a lot of commercials supporting that. They've been the ones putting money into research for potential space travel."

"Yea well, when I was coming to Sinnoh as a part of Team Rocket, they said I'd be joining Team Galactic instead. Unless there is another Team Galactic, we have to assume they're the same gang. And if Team Rocket was up to no good, then it makes sense that Team Galactic would be also up to no good."

As he said that, he noticed Maylene looking off into space, by the looks of it. Candice and Lucas seemed to noticed as well, with Candice waving her hand in front of Maylene's face. "Uh, hello? Earth to May, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Ethan looked off in the direction she seemed to be staring at and noticed storm clouds gathering over the top of Mount Coronet. They seemed to be giving off quite a bit of lightning and he thought he could see the sky turning a bit of a dark purple over the clouds. "What...is that? Is that normal?"

"Huh? Oh, wow! That's the first time I've seen it look like that before!" Candice said. Lucas frowned and looked at Ethan.

"I'm a bit worried. I haven't seen the mountain look like that. And that doesn't look like a regular storm either."

Wiggler let out a squeak and he folded his arms. "Well, I guess we know where we're going then!"

However, it didn't take them very long before they got lost. When Lucas had said that Mount Coronet was known for its large cave system, he thought he was exaggerating but after an hour or two of wandering, he began to see he wasn't lying. "I know I'm not crazy but I swear I've seen that pile of rocks before."

Lucas hunched over. "You did."

"This is why I hate this mountain sometimes! There are a bunch of ways to get in and out but if you don't know the exact way, you'll be stuck for a while!"

Maylene grumbled. "I think I'm getting hungry."

Ethan rested his foot on the pile of rocks. "Well...maybe we can retrace our steps-"

"Or the rut in the path," Lucas said. Ethan looked at him and then shook his head.

"That's what drives me crazy. I swear we've taken every turn that we could and yet we either turn up at dead ends or back here!"

Wiggler climbed up some of the rocks but slipped, tumbling to the ground and jarring a few rocks loose. As he did, Ethan thought he could see an opening behind some of the rocks. He narrowed his eyes at the rockpile. Wiggler let out an annoyed squeak and he laughed. "What's with him?"

Ethan grabbed some of the rocks and tossed them to the side. "I think...we may have found something!" He said. He pulled away some more rocks and began to reveal a doorway, hidden behind the pile. He flashed a smile at the rest. "Hah! Thanks to Wiggler's clumsiness, we'll be able to continue!"

Wiggler let out another squeak and he waved him off. "You know I'm joking."

"Let me do it," Maylene said. Ethan stepped back and she began to punch and kick at the rocks. She soon stirred up a small cloud of dust, causing the three to step back from. When it had cleared, he saw she had reduced much of the rocks to gravel and dust. She made a muscle with her arm. "I spar everyday with my Pokemon. It's how I keep in tip top shape."

"That was amazing Maylene! You really have to show me how to do that!" Candice said, beaming at her. Lucas rubbed the back of his head.

"You spar with your own...Pokemon."

Ethan patted him on the shoulder. "Come on. We wasted enough time here as is! If there is something sneaky going on, I want to be there to stop it!" He said. He looked at her. "And thanks for that! I know next time not to get you angry."

The next set of caves didn't have many off paths that would sidetrack them but as they hurried along, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Like they were about to encounter something bigger than he could imagine. He hated that feeling and tried to shake it but darnit, it held on. He looked over at the others but they didn't seem to share his sentiment. Or they just hid it well and he was awful at reading into people's feelings or mood.

He turned a corner and he saw a Team Rocket grunt standing at the end of the passageway, guarding an exit. He stepped back and around the corner before looking at them. "Well...Team Rocket is here."

"What-"

He held up a finger to his lips. "I just saw a grunt guarding the exit."

"Then...they must be trying to summon the two Pokemon! If that's true, we could really use Cynthia right about now," Lucas said. He shook his head. "I'm more of a researcher than a trainer."

"Yes but me and May are both gym leaders. That should count for something. And Ethan is pretty strong as a trainer too."

Ethan nodded. "She's right. We should be more concerned about stopping those Pokemon then whatever weak trainers they throw at us.

"So...what do we do about that Team Rocket grunt?"

Ethan smiled. "We just chase him off. If he alerts his bosses, whatever. We need to focus on getting to the top. We don't really have the time to be sneaking around."

He looked around the corner again and saw that the grunt had left his post. "Is he still there?"

"No, I think he left. Let's go before he decides to return."

The exit led a snow covered path outside, which led to another cave. After a short walk around an indoor lake filled with Feebas and Magikarp, they came to a large room where Cynthia awaited, with three other people, all sporting somewhat wacky hairstyles. There was a man with dark blue hair in a style that made it look like he had a pair of horns. There were also two women, one with short red hair and another with dark lavender hair with a couple of bulb shaped bobs. Standing next to Cynthia was her powerful Garchomp. "Well there you four are. I'm glad to see you're doing okay."

"Who are these clowns?" Ethan asked.

"Meet some of the commanders of Team Galactic, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. They were helping to protect the leader of Team Galactic."

"I love how confident you seem to be that you can stop Master Cyrus," the red head Mars said. "He has a much stronger team than any of us."

"So where are M and Gerald?" Ethan asked. Mars shook her head.

"I'm sure they are with Cyrus and Charon, ready to eliminate any who try and interfere. So you're the infamous Ethan we've heard so much about. Gerald will be overjoyed that he gets to deal with you."

"Yea, I'm sure he would."

"So they already constructed the Red Chain and are trying to summon Dialga and Palkia?" Lucas asked.

"Correct. They had even taken the two orbs and replaced them with some really authentic fakes. That's why I had ignored your calls, I was making sure they were the right ones."

"That stinks! Oh well, I guess we can keep going."

"You have everything covered here Cynthia? Or should one of us stay behind just in case reinforcements come?" Lucas asked.

She laughed. "I think you really should be concerned with getting past M and Gerald, especially Gerald. I tangled with his Salamence and it's a monster."

"He uses a dragon so I'll be able to freeze the fight out of him!" Candice said. As she said it, the ground began to shake. Ethan steadied himself but the tremor lasted for only a couple of seconds.

"Well I guess we better get going then! Good luck Cynthia!"

They emerged again outside and he noticed the summit seemed to be missing the snow that the lower part of the mountain had. What appeared to be the remains of some sort of temple lay several yards ahead, which is where the storm seemed to be centered over but they first had to deal with the two figures who stood in their path, M and Gerald. Gerald's Salamence growled and stared straight at him, ignoring pretty much everything else. "Well well, look who decided to show up."

"Gerald, just get out of our way! You guys don't know what you're doing!"

Gerald sighed. "You didn't even know what we were trying to do for the longest and now you're saying we don't know what we're doing? That's a laugh."

M shook his head. "At least you're here to witness the birth of a new world. A front row seat even!"

"Not if I have any say in the matter," Gerald said. He made a fist with his hand. "I've been meaning to crush you for quite awhile and it looks like I'll have my chance."

"We're wasting time," Lucas said.

Lightning cracked over their heads and Wiggler let out a squeak. "I have to admire you though. You've only been in Sinnoh for a short time and you already amassed a little group of followers. It's almost a shame you're wasting your talents like this."

He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and he turned to see it was Candice. "Forget these losers. We'll hold them while you get to their bosses," she said in a whisper. He nodded and took out a Pokeball like he was ready to fight. Candice laughed as she summoned Mamoswine to the field. Gerald waved it off.

"An ice Pokemon? A wise gesture. It's too bad Salamence knows how to deal with that-"

"Yea but a Milotic?" Lucas asked. Ethan's eyes grew wide as Lucas summoned that very Pokemon. Maylene sent out a Hitmontop and Gerald laughed again.

"Well how cute. I can deal with all of you. And what about you Ethan? Which one will you be throwing to the wolves this time?"

"Actually what is M going to do? Is he just standing there to be standing there?"

M chuckled. "I'm going to let Gerald handle this one."

"Well if that's the case, Gerald, how about a rematch with Wiggler!" he said before kneeling next to Wiggler. "And try to hit Gerald with an Aura Sphere so we can get past," he said in a low whisper. Wiggler let out a squeak and he stepped back. "Your move Gerald."

"And I'll take it. Salamence, take out the nuisances so we can get to the real fight."

Salamence let out a growl before it turned to Candice's Mamoswine. Before it could get an attack off, Hitmontop launched itself at its head, nailing Salamence with a Quick Attack. Salamence shook it off but seemed a bit shocked when Milotic launched an ice beam in its direction. That caused it to stall for a bit, perhaps a bit bothered by the cold. With those two stalling Salamence, the ever so slow Mamoswine got in the act. It stomped its foot into the ground several times before charging forward and nailing Salamence with a powerful headbutt.

Yet even after all of those three attacks, it looked stunned at most. Stunned enough for Wiggler to launch an Aura Sphere at Gerald. Gerald's eyes grew wide as he and M dove out of the way. Ethan laughed as he and Wiggler ran past the two of them. "Haha, suckers! If you want to get to me, you'll have to get past my friends!"

Up ahead, he could see two figures standing in the middle of the ruins, one with short teal hair and an older man with light purple hair. Standing before those two were what he could assume were the masters of time and space, Dialga and Palkia. Before he could get a better look at them, the two men turned to face him. "So you got past M and Gerald."

"Something like that but I'm here to stop you two! I take it you're Cyrus, the leader of Team Rocket, Galactic or whatever you want to-"

"I am. And this is Charon," the teal haired Cyrus said. He turned his back to Ethan. "You're too late though. I already have control of both Dialga and Palkia. Your efforts were in vain."

Ethan shook his head. "I didn't come all this way to fail."

"Then if you're so bold, stop them yourself," Cyrus said as he stepped to the side. The two Pokemon were as large as the drawings had suggested. Dialga reminded him of a...well he couldn't remember the Pokemon it did remind him of. It stood on four legs and had a dark blue hide with various parts of its body covered in jagged silver plates. Each time it breathed, light blue veins appeared all over its body. Palkia stood on two legs with a pearl white body with various purple lines running over its body. As he tried to get a better look, Dialga let out a roar and moved toward him. Palkia did likewise and he began to back away. "What's wrong? I thought you came here to stop them."

"I...uh...did," he said. So how was he going to take down two legendary Pokemon? "Okay Wiggler, give it a taste of Aura Sphere!"

Wiggler charged up the sphere of energy but as he threw it forward, Dialga let out a roar, causing the sphere to stop in mid air. Palkia let out a roar of its own and the sphere vanished into thin air. "Nice try."

"Nice try? Is that all you have to say? Okay Wiggler...umm, use Psychic this time!"

Wiggler pointed its tiny little arms at its head as a light blue aura appeared around its body. It appeared around Dialga as well but before Wiggler could use it, Dialga let out a roar, causing the aura to vanish. "Hey!"

"You came all this way without a plan?"

"Well it kind of involved not letting you get your hands on them but I guess I'll just have to modify the plan-"

"Here's my plan. You won't be apart of the new world when I make it. Instead you'll-"

Before Cyrus could finish, a large black portal opened behind Dialga and Palkia. The purple haired man grumbled. "It seems we have a visitor."

"The master of the antimatter," Cyrus said. He walked over to Ethan and grabbed him by the arm. "Perhaps you should introduce yourself to it!"

Ethan dug his heels into the ground but Cyrus proved much stronger than he imagined. He pushed him toward the large portal, just as a pair of large darkened claws lurched out of the portal and grabbed at whoever stood in front, namely him. It pulled him into the portal, from the summit of Mount Coronet and to a darkened world. He landed on the cool ground, face first before he looked up to check out his surroundings. He stood amongst a grove of grass that stood as tall as him and waved in the air, even though he couldn't feel a breeze. The ground was light purple and large rocks dotted the area

He looked to his side and noticed some water flowing up into the air, where a floating piece of land lay, this one facing sideways. How in the world did the water even flow up? He looked around and noticed other pieces of land, floating around, with no regard to gravity, if there even was some. He heard something crack behind him and he turned to see the portal began to close. He hurried over, ready to take a flying leap through it but instead, Wiggler flew out of it and hit him straight in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. He sat up, just in time to see the portal close. "Rats! That's not good. Guess we'll have to find another way out."

Wiggler began to let out a flurry of squeaks and he glanced down at him. "Huh, what was that? After they threw me in, something else showed up? You think it was Arceus?"

Wiggler let out a few more squeaks and he frowned. "So Arceus showed up, you think and then Charon and Cyrus began to fight? What were they fighting about?"

Wiggler let out a final squeak and he sighed. "Well that's great. I hope their little fight will halt their plan, especially since I'm stuck in this place and can't help out! Let's find a way out of here."

As soon as he stopped speaking, he noticed how quiet this world was. It was dead silent. Even the nearby stream of water didn't leave a sound. "Man, this place is kind of creepy. I wonder what dragged us in here."

He and Wiggler wandered around this strange world for some time but while they experienced things such as plants springing up out of the ground or disappearing back into the ground, they didn't find an exit or whatever Pokemon had dragged them in here. They were even able to walk on some of the floating islands, walking sideways or even in some cases upside down, yet it didn't feel like it. Even walking upside down, it felt as if he were walking right side up, even if he could see that they were walking upside down. Kind of fun but it would have been nice if the place weren't so barren.

"You know, I wondered if that Pokemon was trying to go after Cyrus. It'd make sense because why would it go after me? I was trying to protect the world."

Wiggler let out a few squeaks. "So what happens if we get out of here and the world has been changed? I guess we'd figure out how to return it to normal, right?"

Wiggler seemed satisfied with that answer. "Yea, it'll be tough. If the world is changed, I wonder if anyone will remember us. I mean if we aren't around when the world is changed-"

Before he could finish, the ground ahead of them vanished into thin air and he jumped back to avoid falling to...wherever. He stared ahead at the dark starry sky that surrounded them like a blanket and he thought he saw a pair of red stars appear. "Wow, that's kind of cool-"

Wiggler began to let out a flurry of frightened squeaks and Ethan looked down at him. "What are you so scared about? You say there's a Pokemon in front of us? I don't see it."

A loud roar could be heard and he soon saw it wasn't a pair of stars but eyes. Belonging to a large Pokemon with a gray centipede like body with gold spikes running along its body which looked like legs. It's body had man red and black alternating stripes, though there were still parts of its body where one could see its gray body. Attached near the top of its body were six black appendages with large red claws at the end. Its head was adorned with some sort of gold and spiky crown, around its face with its two beady red eyes, which stared though him like a x-ray. He began to back away, even though it stayed in place. "Uh...Wiggler, you can handle it, right?"

The huge Pokemon must have detected that and it vanished into thin air. Ethan stepped forward. "So where did it go now?" He asked before he felt a sudden chill from his back. He spun around in time to see the huge Pokemon floating behind him now. Wiggler let out a squeak and huddled behind him. "Hey, don't go all scaredy cat on me! I need your help in dealing with...this."

The Pokemon raised its six appendages like it was ready to strike and he winced in anticipation of the attack. It took him a few moments to realize that it wasn't attacking them yet but it didn't move from its spot, trapping them where they stood. "N-n-now what?"

Wiggler walked from behind him and began to let out a few squeaks toward the Pokemon. Though it barely moved, it seemed the two were in some sort of conversation. Well if they were just going to talk it out, perhaps he could relax. He let out a sigh of relief and folded his arms. This had to be Giratina, master of antimatter. He wondered if it was lonely, living in this strange world by itself with no one to talk with. He know he would. Wiggler turned toward him after a bit and let out a few squeaks. "So it was after Cyrus but since Cyrus shoved me in the way, it grabbed me instead. That's good to know. Does it know if the world has been changed?"

Wiggler let out a few more squeaks and his heart fell. "It has? That...stinks. Now what do we do?"

Wiggler bounced up and down, letting out a few more squeaks. "Yea...change it back but if the world has been changed, that's going to be even tougher."

Giratina moved to the side and made a swirling black portal appear. Wiggler let out another string of squeaks and he sighed. "Yea...you're right. We should see how the world is first. I just...can't believe we let them succeed."

Wiggler shot a glare at him and he had to smile. "Don't look at me like that! I get your point. Let's just get out of here."

As he moved toward the portal, he looked over at Giratina. Was it sad? Was it even happy? It was hard to tell but he couldn't help but shake the feeling that it seemed a bit lonely. Perhaps being banished to a world like this would do that to you. He stared at it for a bit and then looked at Wiggler. "Hey, is it lonely? It looks lonely to me."

Wiggler let out a squeak. "Oh...it has to stay here? Well...that kind of sucks. Perhaps we can come visit it sometime!"

Wiggler let out an annoyed squeak and he laughed. "Yes, I'm serious. I think I'd be lonely if I was stuck here too. Don't worry, we'll come back from time to time!"


End file.
